


Ice Works Well Near Fire

by crashingwavez



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Basketball, Basketball AU, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/F, Human Catra (She-Ra), Rivalry, Slow Burn, Smut, Trauma, Unresolved Sexual Tension, adora is still a dumbass, also eventual angst, catra is not as much as a bitch in this but she has her moments, catradora, dumbass lesbians, just tension in general tbh, super slow burn for the romance romance though, you all will not be prepared for the angst i stg
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:14:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 38,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24566746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crashingwavez/pseuds/crashingwavez
Summary: (modern day basketball au)Brightmoon and Horde University always had a steamed rivalry and Catra and Adora both being the top dogs for their respective teams left none of that heat to waste.They were vicious on the floor around each other and that didn't change for all 4 years of their college basketball careers. If anything, it increased by the game.When college ended and the draft came, around they both end up being selected for the same professional WNBA team.Will their intense rivalry affect the team, or will they learn to coincide for the sake of the season?
Relationships: Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 315
Kudos: 733





	1. chapter one

**Author's Note:**

> howdy howdy.  
> god, I haven't made a fanfic since 2016 so go easy on me?  
> this is a basketball au so, basketball jargon galore.  
> I changed entrapta's name to Emily because I deadass couldn't take her name seriously in this au  
> but scorpia keeps her name because idk, I'm the author sooooooo
> 
> enjoy :)

Catra was sitting on the edge of her couch, elbow resting on the sides holding her head up. The couch was placed in the middle of the room in front of the TV that would be the main attraction of the night. Lonnie, Scorpia, Emily, and Emily’s boyfriend, that catra couldn’t remember the name of for the life of her, all were in various spots around her tiny apartment. Scorpia was behind her, leaning forward on the couch with her arms stretched out on the back while Lonnie was rummaging for food in the fridge. Emily was laying across the arms of the chair on her phone, as usual, showing her boyfriend whatever piqued her interest as he sat on the floor beneath her doing the same thing.

As the tv flipped from a commercial to the ESPN newsroom, everyone’s attention was immediately centered on it. Catra felt her heart drop into her gut and her leg started bouncing as the WNBA commissioner started a lengthy speech about decorum and the sports legacy. The thumping of Catra’s barefoot caught the tall woman behind her’s attention.

“Don't be so worried wildcat! You’re the best player I know so you’ve got this in the bag.” Scorpia placed her hand on her shoulder and gave a small smile when Catra glanced behind her.

Catra scoffed, looking back towards the screen. “Of course I am. I’m just you know...worried about the team they will put me on. I don't want my talent to go to waste if I end up being put on a team that has shit players.” 

She pulled her legs up to cross them, not needing anything else showing that she was scared shitless despite her aloof attitude then stretched her arm out behind her head and ran her fingers through the short scruff on the back of her neck, trying to act indifferent. 

Scorpia gave a terse laugh and patted her shoulder leaving to go walk around to the other side of the couch, sitting next to catra with her full attention back on the tv.

Lonnie made her way from the kitchen with a bowl of chips she must have found in the pantry. She sat on the arm of the sofa next to Scorpia leaning the bowl towards her with a raised eyebrow, obviously offering her some. 

Just as everyone was settling down and Catra was finally done counting the freckles on the back of her hand for the sake of calming herself down, which was actually working until the tv cut to a new woman who was preparing to announce the first pick.

Catra’s heart rate picked back up, beating her previous pulse by a mile. She put her hands on her face letting her nose peak out in between her fingers. She breathed in and then wiped her hands down her face and exhaled.

“Starting us off in round one of the WNBA Draft, The first pick for this year’s draft, The Crimson Waste Calvary select…”  
Catra debates whether she wants to cover her ears or lean closer to the TV. The anxiety bubbling under her skin. The glory of a first-round pick salary that comes with the title of being the first pick leaves her wanting to shake the butterflies that are spreading throughout her body.

“...Catrina Serrano, Horde University.” The screen flits to a highlight reel of plays where Catra is driving to the hoop and some good pass and pivot layups with some cheesy music dubbed overtop. Luckily the music was short-lived as everyone started yelling and pumping fists in the air.

Catra bolted up, standing with her arms behind her head and eyes wide.”Holy shit...holy shit...Holy Shit!”

Scorpia scooped her up into a tight hug, the height difference causing her feet to dangle above the floor. “I told you Catra! You had this from the start. Never a doubt in my mind!” She swung her around a bit before dropping her to the floor leaving her subject to the group hug from the rest of the room’s occupants, save for Emily’s boyfriend.

Her heart was racing almost as fast as her head. She was feeling euphoric. It was pure happiness that washed over her truly for the first time in her life. Life was always shit for her starting from birth. Basketball was the only solace she had ever found and now that her lifelong dream was coming true at 22. 

Usually not being keen on physical affection for a plethora of reasons, Catra was tempted to ask for space and back up but decided against it. She wanted to relish in this moment for as long as she could knowing this feeling won’t last forever. 

When everyone backed away Catra was smiling so hard her cheeks hurt and when she looked up and saw Scorpia tearing up she laughed.

“Wow Scorp, how are you more emotional about this than me.” She pushed lightly on her upper arm making her wobble slightly. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d have thought you were the one being drafted.” 

“I’m just so proud of you wildcat…” She sniffled. “You’re getting everything you’ve ever wanted and deserved and I’m just so happy for you.”

“Yeah yeah yeah. Stop being such a sap please it’s rotting my head… but thank you.” She offered up a warm small smile to her then turned her body to look at every one. “I hate to say this but I’m really glad I don’t have to play with your dumbasses anymore. I swear to god I was the only one on the team with a brain cell.” She rolled her eyes and slowly shook her head.

“Yeah right. You wouldn’t have had any plays for that highlight reel if you didn’t have me.” Lonnie gibed pointing a finger at her. “I set you up every time you weren’t busy with pretending like no one else was open so you could steal all the open looks!” She smiled showing that she wasn’t genuinely arguing with her.

“Yeah right. If I wasn’t as good as I obviously am, then you wouldn’t have gotten assist of the game half of the times you did. My follow-through skills are what is really important here.” she slit her eyelids, shaking her head.

“Whatever you say dumbass.” They both broke out laughing which soon encompassed everyone in the room.

They all slowly calmed down and sat back in their previous spots wanting to finish watching the draft. Catra waiting for someone particular she almost for certain knew would get drafted.

Her highlight reel had already ended and there were in now watching the middle of the second pick for the round’s highlights. After all seven of the round one selections were made Catra was confused that she hadn’t seen the girl yet. The channel switched over to a commercial

Catra knew she was of the same caliber as her, better even if you were to ask watchers of women’s college basketball. Catra thought that was debatable. She knew that if they were to one on one, Catra would be the one on top.

The screen switched finally back over to the woman announcing the drafts, picking up from where she left off.

“Starting with Round two for the first pick, The Crimson Waste Calvary select...Adora Greyskull, The Brightmoon University.”

_There we go. Ha bitch! Nice second-round pick!_

Catra scoffed and laughed, rolling her eyes in the process.”Can’t wait to play against her this year on a real court. Show her it was a fluke that they won the championships. Horde should have had that game.” She reclined on the couch stretching her legs out with a look of disdain on her face as she recalled the memory.

“That’s not possible Catra. Can’t play against your own teammates.” Emily stated plainly not looking up from her phone. “Did you forget that?”

She got defensive“What no, of course, I didn’t! I know basketball inside and o- wait what did you say?”

“I said you can’t play against your own teammates. Wow, Scorpia was right, you are a bad listener.” She continued to text on her phone, still absorbed in what she was typing.

Catra immediately flicked to the screen seeing Adora in her highlight reels. The wisps of her hair that wiggled loose from her tight ponytail stuck to her face. Her eyebrows strewn tight as she focused on faking a cross and going for a shot from the top of the lane lines, her muscles flexing at the release of the ball from her hand at the crux of her shot.

She flicked her eyes down to the bottom of the screen where it said **Adora GreySkull- Crimson Waste Calvary**

_You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me..._

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me!” She decided to let her thoughts be known. 

She threw her hands down on her lap and stood up walking to the kitchen and grabbing a glass and pouring water into it from the sink faucet.

Scorpia rotates around to look into the kitchen while still sitting on the couch.”Isn’t this like... a good thing? You have to know how good of a player she is. You guys will be unstoppable!”

Catra swallows a rather large gulp of water, setting down the glass. “No. I can’t work with someone like her. So overzealous and obnoxious...I can’t stand her.” She paces back into the living room. “She hates me too. You’ve seen her flagrant foul me hundreds of times!”

“Well, you’ll have to learn how to play with her. Teamwork is important.” Emily adds, finally looking up from her phone. “or maybe you won’t. We know how righteous you get about yourself and your ego is irreplaceable!” She laughs

“Ha ha ha. Really funny! Fuck you, Emily.” Catra stuck both of her middle fingers up at her. Walking towards her room. “I’m heading to bed, but you all can stay as long as you want but when you leave, make sure you lock the door behind you.”

“You don’t want to watch the rest of the draft? There are 5 more rounds.” Scorpia asks, still turned facing the opposite of the TV.

“Yeah, I already saw what I needed to see.” She opened the door to her bedroom and looked back smiling. “Goodnight. Thank you guys for coming. Means a lot since I don’t have a family…”

“We are your family, never doubt that again Wildcat. Goodnight Catra of The Crimson Waste Cavalry! Ooooh, that has a ring to it!” Scorpia barked out a laugh causing her to laugh too.

With a final head nod to her friends, she entered her room and shut the door. 

She leaned back against the door and breathed, finally allowing it to sink in now that she was alone. 

_I was the first pick in the first round!_

She exhaled loudly as she pushed herself off the door and walked into the bathroom to brush her teeth. 

Watching the toothpaste foam in her mouth she let her mind roam back to Adora. Why out of everyone they could have drafted was she picked for the calvary? Of course, they were a great team so why wouldn’t they want the best players they could pick? The Waste had won multiple championships and they had an off-year the previous season because of a change in management. They started getting into the groove a little too late into the season so their seed was all fucked and it made the bracket, not in their favor. That’s why they got first picks in the drafts this year. Catra spit out the toothpaste into the basin.

Scorpia was right when they said they would make a great pair on the court. Catra’s skills as a point guard with her passing and eyes that never miss an opening mixed with Adora’s brute force and high accuracy would make for a lethal offensive tempo… If she could get over how much she abhorred Adora.

Making her way into her room she opened her closet and grabbed her usual sleep garb, but as she was closing the sliding door her eyes laid on her now old Horde uniform. Soon she would be hanging her new jersey there, making new memories. Hopefully better ones to trump the absolute shit ones she’s had since childhood. She finally slid the door back into place with a sigh, turning on her heels to go lay in her bed even though she was unsure how she was going to be able to sleep with this much on her mind and her body thrumming like with nerves.

She grabbed her phone from off her nightstand and flopped onto her bed going through all of her new notifications that consisted of text message congratulations from old friends about the draft and an explosive amount of followers on her Instagram. Drafts always brought this attention and she knew that. She experienced a small version of it when she was confirmed to be playing for horde university 4 years ago. They were a big dog in the scene along with Mystacor and Brightmoon.

She texted back the people she knew actually cared, or at least thought they did, and set her phone down, setting an alarm for 6 am. She heard the front door to her apartment finally shut leaving her finally alone in her house.

Catra heard a ping on her phone that left her leaning over the top of her phone pressing the power button. The notification read **Adora Greyskull (adoragrey_) Started following you.**

She rolled her eyes for the nth time today laying back over to stare at her blank ceiling.

_This is either going to be absolutely unbearable or only mildly unbearable. Nothing in between._


	2. chapter two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> all of the fasion in this fic will be 2000% self-indulgent.  
> most of the time, the characters will be dressed in streetwear style clothing because y e s.

The next week had gone by excruciatingly slow. Waiting for official practices to start made it hard to not be antsy.

Not only was she anxious about meeting the coach of such an esteemed team, but she was also anxious about Adora for some reason. Catra couldn’t shake their conversation from earlier that week out of her head.

_______________________The day after the draft __________________________

**adoragrey_ : hey catrina uh, so ig we are on the same team. I’ll be moving out there next week and i wanted some tips on where i could get practice in on the weekends and weekdays we won't have practices/games. I thought since you’ve lived there for your whole life you would have some good inside knowledge haha**

_Oh fuck me! why is she pretending we haven’t wanted to slit each other’s throats with a single glare for the past 4 years?_

Another message popped up on her screen before she could even start thinking of a response.

**adoragrey_: i know this is really out of the blue but you were honestly the only person on the team i could even imagine messaging me back.**

Catra rolls her eyes. That was a bold assumption of her to make based on their history.

**CatSerra27: ha, and why would I help you? Just because we are teammates now doesn’t wipe our history and sure as hell doesn’t mean I owe you shit. :)**

**adoragrey_: jeez okay. I didn’t realize you took occurrences on the court to the sidelines with you. That must be a lot of baggage for you man.**

Catra blew air out from between her teeth and rolled her eyes. 

**CatSerra27: oh i don’t know, maybe i take them off the court because a particular ‘pretty’ blonde with an egregious sense self of worth fouled the ever-living FUCK out of me in a championship and they cost me the win.**

**Catserra27: you wouldn’t know anyone like that perhaps?**

**adoragrey_: ouch my feelings are so hurt.**

Catra started writing out her reply but then a new message came in.

**adoragrey_: i lied. I feel fine. but ill pretend i didn’t see that sly flirt. for your sake of course. ;)**

Oh bitch, come on. Of course she takes the banter as flirting.

**CatSerra27: Oh you wish i was flirting with you, just so you could tally me into your greyskull fan club of horny teenage boys who like your muscles.**

**CatSerra27: anyways, i want you out of my dm’s so ill send you some screenshots of good parks that are open all day long and rec centers that are fairly obscure.**

**CatSerra27: 3 attachments**

Catra closed her phone and set it back down on the table face up, not wanting to text anymore.

Her phone pinged and lit up. She peeked at the phone without looking up.

**adoragrey_: haha who knows, maybe i want you to be ;) anyways! thanks this will help a lot.**

_What the fuck does that mean?_

____________________________________________________________________________

It was 6 am and Catra was cramming her sports duffel under the glove box on the floor of her car. She groaned as she gave one last push before giving up entirely. 

“Holy fuck if they made this car any smaller I wouldn’t even be able to sit in the driver’s seat.” Catra grumbled to herself as she slid around the car and hopped in the driver’s seat.

She plugged her phone into the aux and scrolled to a random playlist she had on her phone, hoping the music would work double duty in getting her out of her own head and also wake her up a bit more. She stayed up a little too late last night watching Netflix and vegging out. Once practices started she wouldn’t get the opportunity to do that anymore unless she carved out specific time for it which she would do few and far between to be completely fair.

The old car revved up and she swung it into reverse pulling out of the parking lot and heading to a court park. She decided the weather was cool enough to practice outside today and she needed to practice her ball-handling anyways. The rough pavement made that more of a workout anyways. Maybe even go run off these access nerves on the trail that attached the courts to the main grassy area. 

It’s only a ten-minute drive from her apartment so Catra only gets three and a half songs worth of humming and finger drumming till she pulled into the gravel parking lot of the court.

Grabbing her duffel she walked over to the nearest court and lightly tossed her bag on the bench. Catra sat down and unzipped the bag to pull out her shoes, water bottle, and basketball all while she shook her slides off her feet and onto the ground.

She drops the slides into the bag and zipped it up. After lacing up her shoes she grabbed the basketball and walked to one of the hoops, setting the ball down against the pole holding up the hoop and started her warm-up.

She jogged to the half-court, skipped to the next baseline then sprinted back to the other end repeating that drill five times total. She always did things in sets of five. Didn’t know why but it has been the norm for her since she started her own independent training.

Next up we’re lateral side steps up to the half-court then side shuffles back.

The last thing on her list was to warm up her hamstrings really well. Always the impending doom of a season-ending injury in the mist.

_Step. Lunge. Twist. Reverse. Step. Lunge. Twist. Reverse._

As she continued down the court, back towards the hoop her ball was set under, she heard the sound of gravel being kicked up from under tire treads. Catra dismissed the noise just hoping the stranger was here to run rather than play on a court near her. She liked the silence where the only sound is the dribble of the ball and the crunch of dirt under the pivoting of her feet.

She never heard a car door shut but she heard the footsteps growing near. She continued her stretching.

_Step. Lunge. Twist. Reverse. Step. Lunge. Twist. Reverse. Step. Lunge. Twist. Reverse. Step. Lunge. Twist. Rever-_

The footsteps stopped right behind her, crunching on the bits of pavement that had crumbled and been kicked up from the cracks.

“Catrina is that you?” A muffled female voice said.

She turns her head while still in a lunge leaving her staring at a pair of white Nike’s she’s been dreaming of buying but was only able to be jealous for a brief second as she needed to continue her journey in identifying the terrifyingly familiar voice.

Dragging her head up, her heterochromatic eyes locked with the icy blue ones that could only belong to one person.

Catra sputtered. “Adora?” 

Adora was standing facing the early morning sun, casting a pale yellow glow over her features that were mostly obscured by the mask and hat she was wearing. She had on a matching set of loose-fitting sweatpants that cinched at the ankle and a sweatshirt, a duffel slightly larger than hers hanging off her shoulder. Adora pulled her mask off.

“Wow, what are the odds we go to the same park on the same morning!” Adora huffed and smiled, stuffing the mask into her pants pocket.

Catra stood up fully and turned on her heel to face her. “Some shit ass odds if I have to say. I should have given you a list of places I wouldn’t be, but that’s my poor judgment.”

“Ouch. Here we go again with the hostility. Are you like this, all the time? Or is this attitude reserved for me?” Adora glared, crossing her arms and leaning back on the heels of her feet.

“Just for you _princess_.” She shot a faux smile Adora’s way.

“Why do you even call me that? I don’t understand. You’ve been saying it since freshman year and no matter how long I think about, I just don’t understand.”

Catra pouted. “Awe you think about lil old me in your spare time? What will the Fanclub do when they hear about this!” 

“Oh shut up. You know what I meant.” Adora rolled her eyes.

“We both know you secretly like it.” She nodded her head in her direction. “Well as much as I am loving this little chat, I really want to get some practice in. There are other courts here so feel free to like, walk away, anytime now!” Smiling again she walked past Adora and to her ball, feeling warmed up enough to start her drills.

Adora scoffed and started walking away but still close enough that Catra could make out her mumbling.“This season is going to be miserable I can feel it”

Glad the feelings are mutual.

Catra dribbled to just a little beyond the block as she set herself up to start working on bank shots so she can reinforce the mentality of not going for straight net shots as they can be misjudged and airball before the rim starts.

After a couple of shots, she found her gaze drifting to the blonde on the court across from hers.

She was driving to the hoop from the top of the 3 point arc. She was dribbling the ball so hard it would fling back up into her hands faster then catra could blink. She layed it up against the glass after she pivot faked as if she had a defender holding the block.

Adora stepped off to the side, letting her ball into the grass on the side of her court. She wiped the sweat off her face with the bottom of her sweatshirt before completely pulling off.

Catra turned her back to the ball in her hand a little to quick causing her head to spin for a couple moments.

 _Abso-fucking-lutly not. Not today._

She made it her goal to not look back over at Adora for the rest of the time she was there. Which she was successful in other than seeing her walk past her court again on her way back to the gravel lot.

Adora fastened her bag onto her back using the backpack straps and got onto her motorcycle because, of course, she rode a motorcycle.

Before completely pulling out she glanced up at Catra and saluted her. Finally pulling out at around 8 am if Catra’s watch served her right.

“Fuck you.” Catra said knowing she wouldn’t be able to hear her over the thrumming of the motor.

After she was sure Adora was far gone, she packed up her stuff, switching her shoes for slides and starting towards her car. 

Her plan for her calming early morning training had been shattered she didn’t want or need to be thinking about Adora. She opened her car door a little forcefully and tossed her bag into the passenger seat, not caring if it tumbled around at this point.

She slammed an open fist into the top of the steering wheel and sighed so loud she’s almost sure the whole park could have heard.

Catra started the car, not caring about her phone or anything else other than getting home and forgetting the shit storm of this morning.

____________________________________________________________________________

“Don’t you think you’re being a little dramatic, Wildcat?” Scorpia says through Catra’s phone that she laid on the countertop in her kitchen while she makes herself breakfast.

Catra called Scorpia almost the second she closed her apartment door. Needing to vent to someone, she fell prey to her angst.

Scorpia was actually a really good listener and usually had great advice and valid arguments to offer her. Catra knew that she genuinely cared about her so that made her Catra’s main confidant which is a large achievement when you think about it. Catra was so closed off to everyone else in her life because of her tendency to feel like people were looking down on her.

“Absolutely not! Come on you know our history as well as I do. Postgame shoving, in-game shoving, name-calling. Just general things you don’t do with people you don’t hold a grudge against. And she was the provocateur. She started this mess.” Catra whined, putting the knife she used to spread the jelly onto the toast with into the sink.

“I know, I know. I’ve heard the spiel a hundred times at this point.” Scorpia sighed into the microphone. “You’re old enough to be the mature one and not react how she wants you to. Also, she wasn’t being outwardly flippant with you when she first texted you and when she spoke to you this morning right?”

“Well, not exactly n-”

“Then maybe she is trying to take a step forward, past your guy’s college days. Maybe even try and be friends with you for the sake of the team.”

Catra swallowed her bite of toast and thought about their interactions since the draft. Catra was always the one on the offensive with her attitude. Whether she thought Adora deserved it or not. Maybe Adora really was trying to move past their fights and overall vicious behavior towards each other. They were on the same playing field at this point anyways.

“Uh, Catra? You still there? I swear if you forgot to pay your phone bill again I wi-”

“Yeah, I’m here, sorry… God, I hate it when you are right.” She laughed.

“Wow, then you must hate me all the time because when have I ever steered you wrong!” Scorpia laughed back before evening out. “Well other than that time when I was first giving you directions to my house I literally told you to go the wrong way and led you to some creepy old geezers house. Jeez...Yeah I’m still _super_ sorry about that.” 

“Ha yeah, I still have PTSD from that man chasing me off his porch with a bat. God, I thought your family was fucking nuts when I got back in the car.” She grimaced at the memory before shoving another bite of toast into her mouth.

Scorpia sighed “Ah yeah, that story will never get old. Anyways! I have to head out. Some early day shopping is in dire need for the fridge. So I’ll talk to you later bud.”

Catra grabbed her phone off the counter. “Alright. I’ll text you later if anything progresses basketball-wise.” 

“Oh! One last thing! Maybe text Adora and apologize for acting all rude to her this morning? But that’s just a thought. Seriously though I have to go now. Bye!”

The phone rings out a tone before flashing back to her home screen.

Maybe this could work?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't stop writing so bam  
> back to back updates.
> 
> comment to feed my flame, please :)


	3. chapter three

“Glimmer! How many times do I have to tell you? I’m an adult and I am fully capable of living on my own, Whether it’s back in Brightmoon, New York, or here in Nevada. I will be fine!”

Adora pins the phone between her shoulder and ear as she grabs her pocket knife to slit through the tape on a moving box. She didn’t own too many things in the first place and her new apartment was small so the unpacking would be minimal but Adora was a master procrastinator when it came to things she wasn’t passionate about. She’s on day 4 of unpacking because of this behavior.

“I know I know.” The phone crackled from the bad reception. “I’m just worried about my best friend moving across the country with no one else there to keep physical tabs on you! I also know damn well Bow is in the same boat as me. He’s been asking for hourly updates from me. So please let m- I mean us worry, okay?”

“Okay...ugh okay yes I understand. I just don’t need the whole ‘Glimmer mom’ bit.” 

Adora pitched her voice up. “Adoraaaaaaa did you eat this morning? Adoraaaaaa did you remember to buy groceries? Adoraaaaaaaaa did you make your bed this morning. Adoraaaa-”

Glimmer gasped. “I do not sound like that!” 

“You sure do. I would know, I have had to listen to it nagging me from thousands of miles away every day since I landed.” Adora laughed.

“Oh my god, Adora. No I haven’t!” Adora huffed air out of her nose loudly.

“Okay, Whatever maybe I do a little bit. At least it shows I care! I just miss you so much I don’t know what me and Bow will even do now that you’re gone! I’m also going to miss playing basketball for Brightmoon with you even more now that we can’t even practice recreationally together.” She sighed.

Adora pocketed the knife and flipped the flaps of cardboard over, opening it to reveal a box of framed and unframed photos of her and her friends wrapped in loose newspaper. She pulled out the closest framed photo and regarded it. It was taken during freshman year of college. Her, Bow and Glimmer were outside of a concert venue taking a selfie. It was one of the first times they had really hung out outside of class or practice.

“I miss you guys too, but I think you will manage. It’s not like I’m never going to come to visit and or vice versa. Just when you think you’ve finally escaped me...I’ll be back! So don’t worry too much Glim. You’ll get to play with me again soon, but prepare to get your ankles severely broken.” She huffed out a laugh. “If anything, the professional regiment I’ll be starting soon will make you regret playing against me.” She set the frame down on the nightstand next to her bed, one of the few actual furnishings in the apartment.

Glimmer chuckled back. “Perhaps you will. But have I mentioned how proud everyone is of you yet? Because we are through the roof excited for you, even if we wish you got drafted to a team that was just a tad bit closer Brightmoon. Also even though you are the same team as that Serrano girl you always end up scuffing with...what’s her first name? Katie? I swear to god Adora if she so much as touches a hair on your head, I will fly out there and beat her in for you. You can bet your blonde ass on that much.”

“You’ve mentioned it once or twice or a couple of hundred times. Hard to keep count.” She smiled. “Also don’t worry about Catrina, I’ve spoken with her a couple of times to try and smooth things out since I got here.”

Glimmer gasped for the second time that call. “You’ve talked with her?! Civil-ly? What did you do with Adora!”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes Glimmer. Civil-ly. Is that really that hard to believe? So what, I get heated on the court, everyone does.” Adora’s phone buzzed but she ignored it and continued organizing a corner of empty boxes she needed to take down to recycling later.

“Adora, honey, you know I love you right? But that was the biggest understatement made in the history of forever. That isn’t intense court focus rivalry. That is like, you killed my dog and you existing is the bane of mine kind of heat. Are you blind or?”

Adora stuttered. “N-no? What are you talking about? She’s just a really good player and I focus on her. The game is also mental so I say some things to her and she says some stuff back. I don’t see the issue.”

She sighed and Adora could almost see the eye roll that accompanied it. “Wow, You could single-handedly uphold the blondes are stupid stereotype yourself. It’s incredible how much of an idiot you are. Anyways, how did those urbane convos go for you?” Glimmer drug out the word urbane in an obviously mocking tone.

“Uh well I tried to be nice and seem indifferent about our past but she seems to be in the same mindset as you. She got all hostile with me when I first texted her for help and then again when I ran into her at a local court park. Maybe I did lay the intensity on a little too thick. Hm well, I could always g-”

“Yeah Bow?” Glimmer yelled into the phone causing Adora to wince. “No, I’m on the phone with Adora! One second Adora.” Another wince, then a muffled dropping noise sounded through her phone. Some barely audible footsteps and a door opening followed shortly after.

Adora grabbed her phone from out between her shoulder and ear and walked into the kitchen/main living space area. She put the phone on speaker and grabbed an energy drink from the fridge, popping the lid and taking a liberal gulp.

_I’m not that intense am I? There’s no way. I mean like, yeah I don’t like her but I don’t hate her. She’s a good player...Correction a great player. I’m jealous of her sure. Her nimble movements and lean body give her a serious upper hand when making cuts. Also, I bet she loves how her hair doesn’t cover her eyes anymore because she cut it short at the end of senior year. Lucky, my hair is annoying when it tussles out of the band._

She resealed her drink and slid onto the kitchen countertop next to her phone. Glimmer still hadn’t returned. She turned her head to the clock on the stove.

**6:03 PM**

She thought about making dinner not realizing how late in the day it had gotten. Maybe she could make one of those frozen meals she bought at the store yesterday? She recoiled at the thought, opting for the lazy route of just ordering in pizza whenever she could make an outgoing call.

_Would she be mad if I hung up?_

_Probably._

The waiting game lasted another couple minutes until there was a faint rustling noise coming from the phone piqued her attention away from reading the ingredient list off of the drink bottle.

“Ah! Sorry Adora, but I have to go. Bow needs me to drop him off somewhere. He says hi by the way and he wants minute by minute text updates from you.” Adora could hear the grabbing of keys in the background.

“Ha, alright I’ll text him. It’s alright though I wanted to order pizza anyways. I’ll call you later alright?”

“You better. I want the complete Serrano run down. Verbatim, you hear me?”

Adora laughed. “Aye aye cap’n. Farewell.”

She hung up the phone and sighed. Adora really did miss the pair, more than she originally anticipated. They were inseparable since she met glimmer on the team freshman year. Glimmer was the point guard and it was rightfully so. She had great leadership skills, saying what needed to be said and being blunt about it. It’s what drew Adora to her in the first place. She hadn’t even realized that their coach was Glimmer’s Mom until they both had a pretty public argument during a tense timeout. Something along the lines of Glimmer making a bad audible causing an upset in momentum. Glimmer, naturally, disagreed.

Adora had met Bow in one of her core classes and it turned out he and Glimmer had been best friends since kindergarten, unbreakable since. She was grateful they had integrated her so fast into their lives, they really were great people. Ever since her mom died when she was a sophomore in high school, Adora had struggles when it came to friends. She didn’t do well with coddling or being seen as upset and weak. She knew it was a complex of sorts but she never really got over it. Glimmer and Bow didn’t press her much though when they learned about it which was honestly really refreshing. They must have sensed the boundaries she was trying to hint at while being super vague.

She picked her phone up from the countertop and went through the notifications she hadn’t got to before and during her call. 

There were some were texts from Bow, as Glimmer warned, asking her a bunch of questions with an alarming amount of unnecessary emojis and exclamation points. Some were just news articles about politics and celebrities, stuff she might look at later when she was procrastinating sleeping. There was one message she absolutely didn’t expect to see though. It had only been sent about 10 minutes ago.

**CatSerra27: hey. I wanted to uh, say sorry about what I said at the court park. Just like you said, I take things off the court that should have been left there. You were being nice and I bitched for no reason.**

_Well Isn’t that a complete one-eighty. I did not see this coming at all._

She clicked on the notification and started typing out a response.

**adoragrey_: woah an apology from you? I wasn’t expecting that...at least for a while longer.**

She didn’t respond right away so Adora reread the message a couple more times.

**CatSerra27: i will fucking take it back. i swear to god, do not test my resolve. you are tempting fate right now.**

**adoragrey_: okay okay!! thank you. really. I want to leave college beef back in our college days. I’m not saying we have to be buds or anything but I’d rather not fight.**

**CatSerra27: this is only to benefit the team. not for you.**

_ouch. Still prickly. What did I expect though?_

**adoragrey_: well that just makes it sound disingenuous…**

**CatSerra27: just take the apology. please. i have to go now. have a nice night or whatever.**

**adoragrey_: awe you do care. Have a nice night too catrina.**

**CatSerra27: call me catra please. you sound weird when you say my full name. no one does anymore… not that you would know better anyways. you know what? nevermind. just call me catra from now on, I’d appreciate it..**

_That’s a step in the right direction I think? Everything about her is so confusing._

Adora didn’t reply seeing as Catra probably wouldn’t have responded back anyways. 

She slid off the counter and grabbed the pile of deconstructed cardboard boxes from the corner so she could take them out. There was only so much space in that apartment so cleaning it out of unnecessary clutter would make it feel ten times better. She grabbed her keys on the way to the door in case she accidentally locked herself out.

Catra was stuck in her head for some odd reason. Maybe it was just because she talked about her with Glimmer today and then immediately after had a pretty confusing conversation with her. 

Honestly? All that week her mind had been plagued with thoughts of what it would be like to finally play _with_ her instead of against. The two of them could be unstoppable with the right setups, communication, and on the spot playmaking. Communication being something they will definitely have to work on.

Adora drops the boxes down to open up the communal recycling can with both hands. She picks them back up quickly leaving the lid suspended in the air for a few moments as she tosses them into the container letting the lid slam shut.

It’s not like she expects their relationship to change overnight. She knows this whole thing will take a bit to fully settle. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

She gets back to her apartment and steps through the threshold, shutting and locking the door as her stomach growled loudly.

_I forgot to call the pizza place. Dang, I could have had it delivered by now!_

Whipping out her phone, she googled the number for the nearest joint, copy and pasted the number into the dialer faster than she ever has done anything in her life and called the number.

“Hi, yes I’d like to make an order for delivery.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i decided to put the fictional places of shera into real places within the united states, purely for the sake of my sanity.
> 
> also again, I am a comment whore. please feed me anything from critique to general thoughts.


	4. chapter four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOME IMPORTANT PRE NOTES  
> I changed some names of the characters so they fit more nicely into this modern human setting so  
> Huntara: Tara Jackson  
> Netossa: Tess Williams  
> Spinerella: Ella Davis  
> and Gabriella is based on the nameless brightmoon guard/general. so hopefully, that can help you picture her in your head other than the very brief physical description
> 
> also, this is where the lines of NBA and WNBA cross and fade. I am way more familiar with how the NBA runs camps and general pre-season and season management, despite the intensive research I have done for the WNBA to keep this as accurate as I possibly can.
> 
> so for the sake of this fic, the WNBA is essentially identical and has the same amount of press coverage and viewership as it's male counterpart. (as it should anyways...but that's not the point so I digress lol)
> 
> enjoy this chapter :)

This week marked the first day of the training camp. The camp would last about a month and would contain media coverages, intense training, and getting the new draftees settled and prepared for the preseason. Today they would be getting their uniforms for the photoshoots then touring the training facility that was adjacent to their arena.

Catra knew that the preseason would be where most of her minutes would come from for a while. She’s a new select and won’t be a starter for at least the first quarter of the season or longer. Maybe if she put in the extra effort of showing the staff her skills and worth she could be the sixth man early on? But on the other hand, the other draftees including Adora would be striving for that goal as well. Actually, she was damn sure Adora would have her sights locked on it if the four years of extra after-hours training Catra had to pull just to one-up her served right. 

She wondered if Adora did the same thing.

Did she train after everyone left the gym just so she could focus on her accuracy against Catra’s tight defense? Work on her speed so she could have a chance for catching her on a fast break? Train solely for the purpose of beating Catra just as she was doing for her all those years since they announced the rankings?

She violently shook her head.

_GOD FUCK. I can’t get her out of my head. I thought once college was over I’d get a breather but no. I must have pulled the short straw on life._

Catra slammed her car door shut after she slid out from the seat. She stood in the large parking lot looking at the much larger building in front of her. It was the Crimson Waste Arena and training facility. 

The large sharp edges of matte painted concrete with windows spacing between the rectangle shape the concrete made gave the building a modern appearance. The lot was filled with news station vans and journalists standing outside of a fenced-off entrance kept in order by security guards.

Catra tensed and slid her headphones over her ears then heaved the hood to her bulky jacket up. 

She knew the press came with the sport. Their job was essentially entertainment for the masses and people couldn’t get enough of it, whether that be the gameplay or the interviews and spotlights.

It was always tough for her when it came to interviews. She fumbled with words and sometimes said the wrong thing or explained something wrong. Catra hated coming off like an idiot, especially when it was being broadcasted to thousands of people. She learned the spots the reporters liked to post up in the Horde arena and did her best in avoiding those spots when possible. Sure there were interviews she absolutely couldn’t skip out on and press meetings when it came time for championships but the unprompted ones after a loss or in between the halves really annoyed her and that ended up making them harder for her to verse.

Catra slinked around the side of the cars going the long way, trying to delay the inevitable moment of walking through the gated area. She barely made it to the main sidewalk before an arm grabbed her.

Catra screamed. “WHAT THE H-” The hand covered her mouth and pulled her headphones off.

“Shut up, will you!?” The hand hushed. “I’m trying to help you here. You couldn’t hear me over your music so I had to grab you. Sorry.” 

The person let go and Catra turned around and stepped back to see a woman her height with dusty blue colored hair and brown eyes. Catra recognized her.

“Tess Williams?”

Tess has been the point guard for the Waste for the past 3 seasons. She was undoubtedly the best in the league, at least, if you ask Catra. Her leadership and ability to open lanes up with her passing for her team was the greatness Catra strived for. 

“The one and only.” Tess smirks. “You’re Catra Serrano if my memory serves me right. Welcome to the team.” 

Catra was too starstruck to say anything other than, “Thanks.”

Tess offered a smile.“I just wanted to tell you that if you didn’t want to go through the press hell, I can take you through the staff entrance over here. I know how nerve wracking those can be in your first professional season.” She offered her headphones back with an outstretched hand.

“Thank you, that’d be great.” Catra said, taking her headphones back and putting them around her neck.

“Anytime, but you are most of the reason they are here miss first pick.” She nudged Catra’s shoulder when they started walking side by side.

Catra sputtered. “I- wait really?”

“Yeah really. One of the firsts things they asked me was how I felt about your pick on this team then when I thought you would arrive. I understand why though. I’ve looked through some of your reels and some games of yours. You have natural talent.” Tess laughed, opening the door. “But you will still have to deal with the journalists on the inside. Not many but a few. Sneaky bitches and their access passes.”

Catra slipped inside waiting for Tess to follow in and close the door. “Oh. Oh yeah, I should be fine I think. Thanks again for-” 

A woman in a Crimson Waste uniform walks into the room looking down at her phone but then peeks up and starts walking towards Catra and Tess.

“There you are, Tess! I was looking for you after the shoot. You didn’t tell me you were leaving to go somewhere.” The woman, who Catra recognizes immediately now that she was closer, wraps her arms around Tess’s waist from behind. 

“Didn’t think I had to El. I’m a grown woman.” Tess huffs while putting her hand on top of the hands of the other.

It was Ella Davis, She was the power forward for the team. Her rebound stats were insanely high as she was tall and knew how to box out. She is also the long time fianceé of Tess. Rumor has it that they are waiting to marry till after they quit playing so they don’t have the same last name on their uniforms. Catra wasn’t sure of the validity for that rumor but it made sense if it was true she supposed.

“I just like knowing. I get worried a lot, you know that.” She smiled when Tess turned her head and smiled softly at her. 

“I know, I know I’m sorry darling. I just needed to run out to the car and grab my phone. I forgot to grab it when we were trying to find the keys after you dropped them under the car.” Tess laughed. “Anyways I found Serrano and decided to not let her be subject to the hellscape we call an entrance.” She nodded a head in her direction and Catra gave an awkward small wave.

“Ah how _intrepid_ of you. Welcome to the team.” She unraveled her arms from around Tess and walked over to Catra to shake her hand. “I’ll show you to the locker room so you can get your uniform on. You have to do some set shoots and then they’ll want action shots of you on the court after you warm up. Oh and you might meet the coach today, but the press and the owner of the franchise have been snagging her a lot.” Elle lets go of her hand and started walking to the door she walked in from. “But you will definitely see her tomorrow when the real training starts.”

“Alright.” Catra started behind her, having to walk a bit faster to match her long stride. 

They silently walked around some narrow hallways past glass-walled rooms that contained workout equipment and other various training materials. Ella stopped in front of a door that was propped open with a doorstop.

“Well, here we are! There will be a chair in there with a uniform on it that will have the number you requested. That chair and subsequent locker/storage area will be yours for the rest of the season. When you are done changing tell one of the assistants in the room and they will take you to the shoot. Good luck!” Elle gave her a pair of thumbs up and walked away.

Catra slid her jacket off and put it on her arm. Taking a deep breath, she walked into the locker room.

The room was empty other than someone who Catra assumed was an assistant standing at another entrance on the other end of the room. To the left was the main section of the accommodation, the lockers, and planning board. The chairs sat out from under the storage areas in two rows along the walls with the far wall having a dry erase board with a basic sketch of a basketball court permanently depicted on it.

She walked the rows of chairs looking for her jersey number.

_13? No._

_0? No._

_39? No._

_Ah, there it is._

She spots it at the end of the row, closest to the whiteboard on the left wall.

_27\. My number since elementary school._

Catra pulled the jersey top off of the chair and held it in front of her. It was mostly maroon with a dark grey stripe down from the bottom of the armhole to the bottom of the jersey top. It had a curving rock structure graphic that surrounded the twenty-seven in the middle of the jersey. Underneath the graphic, it said “WASTE” in bold thick lettering. Looking at the shorts the grey stripes on the sides followed down on the sides and then turned inward to line the bottom of the trousers. Catra actually really liked the way it looked. She was worried they were going to be tacky. They were also different from the Cavalry’s uniforms last year. Now she was excited to see their alternate uniforms and wondered when they would receive them.

She slunk out of her shirt and slipped the jersey over her head. Pulled off her sweatpants then after folding them up she pulled on the shorts, tucking the jersey top into it. Catra slid her knee support compression brace on.

One year in high school she pivoted wrong on her leg and her knee got momentarily popped out of place. It wasn’t a bad injury but since then she has had chronic knee pain when she played too much or put her support force purely on the leg. The brace helped tremendously and she barely felt pain when practicing or playing for long stints.

With one swipe of her hand shit flit through her hair trying for some sense of neatness. Though it was short-lived as strands started to cross her brow as they slid down her forehead.

Catra walked over to the assistant and told her she needed to be directed to the shoot. The woman stood up from her chair and took her out the other exit and into a room that seemed like a large storage room.

In the middle was a white sheet strung tight against poles on opposite ends. Studio lights facing the player standing with a ball in her hand, cameraman telling her directions.

As they neared closer to the actual shoot sight, Catra realized the player being photographed was Adora.

She was standing back straight with her right arm straight out from her body, gripping a basketball from the top. A small smirk played on her face and Catra swore she wasn’t burning it into her memory.

“Perfect!” The photographer said as he backed up and snapped a couple of shots. After some shots, he walked back up to her explaining another pose to the blonde.

The assistant stopped next to the setup.

“Just stand over here and he will call you over when Ms.Greyskull is finished.” Catra nodded then assistant then promptly walked away back towards the locker room.

Catra looked back at Adora when she heard the sound of dribbling. They had her dribbling the ball slowly between her legs as she was low to the ground with a serious glare on her face.

_That will never compare to the face she actually makes on the court._

The uniform looked good on Adora’s tall form and broad shoulders. She had a short compression sleeve on her right arm and was brandishing a number four on her jersey. A different number then what she had in college because Catra remembers a nine on her uniform for all four years. She wondered why she changed it. Not that she’d ever ask anyways.  
After a couple more poses the cameraman announced to her that she was finished and that they all turned up great. Adora stretched her arms out above her head and as she turned her neck she caught sight of Catra.

She picked the ball up off the floor and walked over to her stopping about a foot from her.

“Hey Catra.” She said low and husky then yawned. “Here, all yours. Hope the shoot goes well. Honestly, it’s a little too early for this haha.” Her voice was back to normal now, much to Catra’s, concerning, dismay.

She handed the ball to Catra, to which the brunette took and slipped under her arm. Adora then leaned in close to her ear breath dancing on the curves of her ears when she whispered. “He is a bit much though in my opinion. To many poses and we are no models. I just want to play.”

Catra shivered and backed up, cheeks lightly heating at the others playful smile.

_I hate pretty women. Especially when they are dicks like her._

“I- uh, you...” Catra stammered looking at the floor. “Ever heard of personal space?”

Adora stepped back further and blushed, obviously embarrassed. “Sorry sorry! You’re right I should have asked.”

“Damn right…” Catra looked up to Adora’s eyes. She looked genuinely upset with herself. 

_Too much Catra. Be nice._

“Thanks though.” Adora looked confused. “For the heads up.”

Her mouth made an ‘o’ shape and nodded her head. “Yeah, of course. Good luck!” 

Adora shuffled backward still facing Catra before turning and jogging into the locker room.

A mess, that woman is.

__________________________

Catra handed the next girl the ball after the excruciatingly long photoshoot that she had learned _did_ in fact warrant a heads up was over, she returned to a locker room filled with players in uniforms. 

She had only spoken to a few being Tess, Ella, and Adora but the other three were players from the previous season

Starla Mason, the main shooting guard when she wasn’t swinging with Tess. She had long stark yellow blonde hair and was talking to Tara Jackson, the Center for the waste. Tara was a tall woman that just was oozing dominant energy from her very being. She had slicked back long white hair pulled up into such a high ponytail it gave Adora a run for her money. Which in fact, Adora was checking out her muscles at this very moment, obviously not paying attention to whatever conversation they were all having.

Lastly, there was Gabriella White, a smaller woman sitting facing Starla. She was the small forward with an unmatched per game steal record. She had dark purple hair that was shaved off on one half of her head. She also had a noticeable scar across the bridge of her nose.

After scanning the room Catra fully walked into the room and everyone turned their heads.

“Uh, hi?” She didn’t know what else to say.

They all gave their version of a hello other than Adora, who just smiled and nodded her head slightly.

_Greet me, bitch._

Catra chuckled to herself for the dumb joke stifling it down before she embarrassed herself.

Tara stepped forward and outreached her hand towards Catra. “Hey, I’m Tara nice to meet you. Welcome to the team.” After shaking Catra’s hand, she backed up and set them on her hips in a fist. “I was just telling them, we are about to go on the court for the action shots part of the shoot, then we will be done for the day. You can stay and tour the facilities or go home and rest before tomorrow, which will be rough for sure.”

“Alright good to know. I’m Catra by the way.”

“Ah yes I’ve heard. You’re the talk of the town, that’s for sure!” Tara laughed loud and deep. “Well, you and blondie over there both.”

Adora’s attention piqued back up from staring at Tara’s most likely ripped back muscles.

“Ah yeah, the press was not cool this morning. Way too earlier to be using any brain power let alone answer question after question.” Adora waved her hand dismissively in front of her face before sitting down.

“You could say that twice.” Starla said groaning. “They seemed extra unrelenting today.”

After a collective nod of heads, they all started to file out of the room and made their way to the arena’s main court. When Catra finally finished walking through the tunnel she stopped dead in her tracks.

The Arena was huge. She expected it to be but finally standing here, court level, looking up into the neverending sea of stands it all officially and finally sunk in. That she was a professional basketball player and was playing for a team that her preteen self would have died and come back for even a chance to stand courtside with them.

_Now I am them now aren’t I? The world works in mysterious ways. Wonderfully mysterious ways sometimes._

She sees Adora in a similar state next to her, basking in the stadium lights with almost literal stars in her eyes. She looked away and logged to catch up to the rest of the women, hearing the patter of Adora’s light jog moments after.

Finally, on the court, they all take balls from a roller cart and warm-up for the action shots. Catra opting to just go full send and drive up to the nearest hoop to her, tear dropping it into the hoop. The adrenaline rush basketball gave her always helped subside any nerves she had. Practically melting away as she familiarized herself with the court and hoops.

Adora picked the same hoop as her, choosing to just shoot mid-rangers whenever Catra wasn’t under the basket.

_See? This can work. No talking, only ball and this will be fine._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, i beg for comments. i am thirsty and in need of a drink that can only be provided by your lovely comments.
> 
> all types of comments are welcome.
> 
> next chapter will be in the works soon :)
> 
> also some sketches of adora in her uniform (really bad please don’t kill me)  
> https://twitter.com/sherashit/status/1270866615140302853?s=21


	5. chapter five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> deadass watch me write this whole fic and pretend like all the other draft selects for this team just don't exist or need any sort of training like Catra and Adora. :))))))
> 
> anyways this is the part of the story where we are starting to understand Catra's behaviors and impulsivities and how her past has affected her.  
> this means slight angst.
> 
> but the real angst won't come into play till a lot later down the line so enjoy this while you can.
> 
> shorter chapter today because the next one is going to be long as fuck so :)

The bedroom was dark other than the dim blue glow broadcasting off of the small tv on a table in front of the bed. The show Catra was absentmindedly watching had turned off about 15 minutes ago, leaving the TV to flick into a sleep mode screen that was mind-numbingly bright. So much so that Catra naturally hissed and made blind grabbing motions in the thick comforter of her bed looking for the remote. Finally finding it she shut it off, leaving her in complete darkness as her eyes hadn’t had time to adjust quite yet.

She sat staring at the ceiling for what felt like hours. The day was finally catching up to her and the reality of her actually being a pro basketball player was setting in. Her life would be like this for at least the next four years according to her contract. Not that she was complaining. This was all Catra ever wanted, to play the sport that was the only thing that gave her solace in life. Without it, she would have never met Scorpia, Lonnie, or Emily. They were only solid people in her life and she would have never imagined getting as close to them as she was now. Like Scorpia said, they were truly her family.

Catra didn’t consider her foster mom as any sort of parental figure in her life. Sharon was a drunkard that couldn’t care less about what her ‘child’ was doing. Catra was glad she never did any of the paperwork for an actual adoption because then she would have had to take her last name. Through middle school and high school, her last name and basketball were the only things she had. Clothes were few and far between leaving her wearing the same thing every day and Sharon could never hold a job so food at home was rare for her as she would only buy for herself and not Catra. School lunches were free for her so it only left the weekends partially unbearable.

She wasn’t physically abusive and Catra counted all of her blessings for that, but the things she said to Catra tore her heart and mental stability to shreds. The number of times she went crying to scorpia in the middle of the night was more then she’d like to admit. 

When her later years of high school came around, she got a job and was able to start buying her own food and clothes and even a car her senior year. After graduation, Catra moved in with Scorpia wanting to get as far away from that house as possible. She lived there for her first year and a half of college before moving out when she had enough money to afford an apartment on her own.

Catra groaned and flipped onto her stomach, effectively burying her face into her pillow. She hated it when her head spiraled like this. No clear grasp on her thoughts making it hard for her to sleep.

Groaning again she slid onto her side. No position was comfortable for her thrumming body of nerves. Tomorrow was the first day of conditioning and Catra was both immensely excited and immensely worried about messing up somehow. If there was a way, she’d find it.

She finally gave up on squinting her eyes shut for ‘the sake of pretending to sleep’ and grabbed her phone off the charger and opened twitter.

Scrolling through her feed just made her more nervous because the sports feeds she was following were reporting on her at the shoot earlier that day. That and Adora.

_Fair enough I guess. We were both the top prospects anyways._

She clicks on a link to an article talking about an interview with Adora from this morning before the shoot.

It opened to a semi-blurry picture of Adora walking in a grey sweatshirt and sweatpants, looking groggy as hell. She remembers Adora mentioning that it was too early for a photo shoot. Catra chuckled and scrolled down to the interview portion.

\---------------------------------------

_Our Reporter Steve Maas caught Adora Greyskull, one of the new Crimson Waste selects, on her way into the arena for the first day of media coverage in the camp. He asked some of our most burning questions in the short 5-minute interview._

**S. Maas-** So, Ms. Greyskull, how are you feeling about being selected for the Waste? Especially with it being so far from your home in New York and all.

 **A. Greyskull-** Uhm, Yeah it’s definitely still a bit surreal as of right now. I feel like I’ll wake up at any second and be back in my college dorm haha. But I definitely feel lucky knowing the number of women that would kill to be in my position right now. 

**S. Maas-** What about the other important draftee that got selected for this team, Catrina Serrano. Are you upset that she got first-round drafted instead of you?

 **A. Greyskull-** Absolutely not. She deserved that pick. Sure I would have loved to get that spot. Anyone would. But if anyone deserved that spot out of the whole list of draftees, It was her.

Catra reread that line at least twenty times to make sure she wasn’t having a stroke.

 **S. Maas-** That’s interesting coming from you to be completely fair. She has been your number one rival since your freshman year of university. In the arena, the tension was palpable, and compared to your other game matchups the intensity from you in games with Serrano were made you seem like a different player entirely. Do you know why that is?

 **A. Greyskull-** I… uh… I’m not completely sure to be honest. Maybe it’s because she is such a great player that I feel like I need to up my game to make sure my team would win. Of course I will strive for number one and when I don’t get it I will be upset. But if she is the one beating me then I would hold fewer qualms because I know she has worked equally as hard as me. I respect the hustle.

 **S. Maas-** Do you think this old heat will cause a point of contention for you two on the court in the future?

 **A. Greyskull-** I sure hope not. I think we can move on from petty college squabbles and make the Cavalry a team to be scared of. Anyways, I have to go now.

 **S. Maas-** Thank you for carving time out of your busy schedule for this short interview Ms. Greyskull.

\-----------------------------

Catra closed out of the popup window twitter created for the article and returned to her normal feed. The fact that Adora saw her in such a highlight made her feel slightly happy. Knowing that she saw Catra in the same light Catra saw her. A small array of butterflies filled her gut, but only for a moment as Catra squashed it down. Self-doubt was festering and gnawing away at her brain.

_No. What if she was just saying that because she knew that would look good for her image?_

Before Catra could think through it rationally and realize that texting someone you have barely even spoken to at 1 am is not the best idea she’s had, she was already on Instagram typing a message in Adora’s inbox.

**CatSerra27: was what you said in the interview this morning true? do you actually think that or are you just playing some social game?**

She sent it before she could even think about the potential repercussions 

_Fuck fuck fuck! I need a parental lock on my phone or some shit. I can’t believe I just said that… I can delete it before she sees it in th-_

**adoragrey_: what are you talking about?**

_FUCK ME, OF COURSE, SHE IS UP._

**CatSerra27: forget i said anything. i’m really tired and not thinking, sorry if i woke you up.**

**adoragrey_: you sure? seems pretty important if you texted me in the middle of the night. also don’t worry about that, i can’t seem to sleep tonight so i was already up.**

She sighed debating if she wanted to follow through with the question or not.

**CatSerra27: yeah i’m sure. again sorry i know this is out of character for me.**

**adoragrey_: heh, you said it not me.**

Catra smiled at the screen slightly.

**adoragrey_: but we should really both be trying to sleep. we have to be there at 6:30 sharp. i don’t want us to start off on the wrong foot with coach because we were late.**

**CatSerra27: are you the captain now or what? I’ll stay up as long as i want**

**adoragrey_: ha okay, we will see how well that goes for you. goodnight catra. :)**

Catra closed her phone and went to sleep thinking about the smile Adora wrote.

\-----------------------------------------------

Catra wanted to shoot her brains out when she woke up that morning. The migraine she awoke with that morning due to her solid four and a half hours of sleep was deep and throbbing. 

She popped some aspirin into her mouth and leaned down to the sink faucet in her bathroom to swallow them down with before brushing her teeth. 

After brushing her teeth and lightly tousling with her hair, Catra found the new practice outfit she had received before leaving the facility. It was a charcoal grey t-shirt with the team mascot on the front and her last name on the back up by her shoulders. The shorts were typical basketball shorts that would hang just above her knees.

She put it on with her brace then grabbed her duffel that she packed the day before with an extra set of clothes to change into after practice knowing she would be incredibly sweaty and gross.

Catra walked into the kitchen, only stopping to down a glass of orange juice then slipping out of her apartment and into her car.

The drive was silent because Catra knew nothing would stop the buzzing under her skin and it would only make the migraine worse probably.  
Pulling into the lot for the facility she saw that there was a significantly fewer amount of reporters and paparazzi there. Sure there were a few but they were spread out and most were taking pictures of the building.

When she parked in a spot she saw Tess and Ella walking in from the same side entrance Tess showed her the day prior. They were both clad in the training uniforms with their respective last names. Catra saw Ella give a chaste kiss on her partner’s cheek before the door shut behind them.

_That must be nice._

She grabbed her duffle and headed in through the same door making a beeline straight for the locker room where everyone was supposed to meet beforehand. With it being a decent walk from the door she entered from when Catra finally arrived in the locker area, she only had a minute to spare. She set her bag down in her storage shelf and sat backward on the chair, legs straddling the backrest.

“So does anyone know the plan for today or are we waiting for coach?” Catra asks into the silence.

Tara clears her throat.“Well, I’m assuming it’s going to be how it usually is every year so there will be some warm-ups and skills practices but at the end of the first day we usually scrimmage against each other and then on the last day we do it again with slightly more balanced teams because everyone will be settled into their main positions by then.”

Starla squealed “Oh-oh! I love the scrimmages. The best part of the training camp!” She smiled big, stars in her eyes.

_Pun intended._

Everyone laughed then a tall woman with a debatably bigger commanding presence then Tara came in through one of the side entrances at the front of the locker room.

“Hello everyone. Let’s keep this brief and to the point, we have a lot of work to do.” The woman checked the clipboard that she had tucked under her arm momentarily then placed it back. “For the new selects, Welcome to the Waste. I will be your coach for the foreseeable future. Call me Coach or Coach Octavia either works.” She gave an obviously forced smile.

“For the rest of you, make sure to teach them the ropes and how this team runs. I don’t feel like being on babysitting duty for a bunch of adults who still want to live out their college fantasies.”

Everyone gave something along the lines of a hum of approval.

“Alright let’s get out on the court then ladies.” She walked out of the room stepping to the side to let everyone jog ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wonder how the scrimmage is going to go...
> 
> anywaysss
> 
> spare comments, ma'am? Sir? human?  
> i thrive on them


	6. chapter six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oiiiii this is two days late but I promise it won't disappoint.
> 
> this is a very basketball intensive chapter and I tried to dumb it down as much as I could but when you are writing from the perspective of a professional player, that gets a little tough.
> 
> i would recommend googling basketball court position terms if you are unfamiliar with the sport, but that is entirely up to you.

It was only forty-five minutes into the practice and Catra was already starting to not be able to feel her body. Her legs felt like jelly and her lungs were on the cusp of burning

She wasn’t used to this type of training. Catra typically did things in intense short bursts with cooldowns in between. Not this cardio endurance training with 30-second breaks between sets and drills. All of the drills were accompanied by a ball, no matter if it was running, warming up, or other basic conditioning workouts. The reverberation of the ball going through her hand every time it bounced back up from the floor was becoming more and more numb

After a suicide drill, they finally got to have a water break. Catra drudged over to her water bottle on the floor and took a hefty swig, knowing immediately after she swallowed that she will feel it in her stomach once they started running again. She grimaced at the thought before scanning the room to look at the state of dishevel the rest of her teammates were in.

Starla was the worst of them, her blonde curly hair looked stark against her dark sweat shined skin. She was heaving air, hunched over with her hands on her knees. Gabriella was standing over her with a hand on her back trying to get her to stand up straighter so she could breathe. On the other hand, Tara was sweating buckets but otherwise, she seemed more or less the same with her slow controlled breaths. Catra was jealous of people with endurance like her.

Catra kept scanning the sidelines looking for Adora. She didn’t get to see her much during practice because they were always on opposite ends of the lines and court when doing drills. She wanted to see if Adora was as intense at practice as she was on the court, but only when Catra pushed her eyes past the sidelines and saw the person of her mind focus standing the middle of the court dribbling the ball between her legs did she realize, she almost was.

Adora was drenched in sweat. Her hair was messy as the whips of hair that had come free were standing on end as the baby hairs at the base of her neck were seemingly plastered to her skin. Her shoulders rose high and low as her breathing was clearly inhibited. She was probably doing some breathing exercises in her head. Her eyes shut hard to squint out the sweat sliding down from her brow and when they opened, Adora switched to a different ball handling workout. 

Catra was almost as in awe of her work ethic as she was judging her for being a massive idiot. Almost.

_That can seriously strain you not taking breaks and drinking water to replenish what you’ve lost. What is her deal? You just HAVE to one-up everyone, don’t you Adora?_

She shook her head and sat down her bottle, walking towards the center of the court where Adora was standing. She stopped a couple of feet from her, rolling back onto the heels of her feet.

“You feel like you have something to prove?” Catra snickered.

Adora glanced up slightly then focused back on the court in front of her. “I have everything to prove.” She smirked. “Do you think they will just put you on the team because you were the first pick? Cute.”

Catra rolled her eyes. “Absolutely not. I know that. I also know that when you burn out, you burn out hard and doing that on the first week of camp would be stupid as hell. Seems to me you are trying to achieve that on your first day.” She sighed. “Have you even drank any water?” 

“No, it will slow me down. I always make up the losses after practices so I don’t over drink and get sick.”

“That’s fucking ridiculous. I don’t know who taught you that but they are seriously idiotic. You can get seriously sick.” Catra stamped away mumbling, grabbing a paper cup filled with water off of a cart and returned to the blonde. “You perform at your best when hydrated so don’t be a dumbass and drink this.”

Catra outreached her hand in front of Adora who stared at the cup for a second before stopping her dribble and grabbing the water.

Adora smiled something that was teetering on the edge of warm and teasing. “Awe, you do care.” 

“Shut up before I take the water back and let you dehydrate.” Catra snarled scuffing her foot across the court with a squeak.

“Okay okay!” Adora pleaded. She drank its entire contents with a single gulp. “Thank you.”

Catra waved her hand dismissively in front of her. “Yeah, whatever. I don’t need you sick of the team before we even make it to preseason, not because I like you.” 

Adora smirked again. “I never said that.” 

“Gah! Whatever” She started to talk away as Adora chuckled. A noise Catra would hate to admit that she wouldn’t mind hearing more.

She slummed down into a chair next to her water bottle and immediately regretted it as her legs would have literally whined if she got up again. She stretched them out in front of her watching Adora throw the cup away and stretch a bit herself, rolling up the bottom of her shirt to wipe the sweat off her face like she did in the park a week ago. This time though, Catra didn’t give herself whiplash by looking away. Instead, she decided to become brainless looking at Adora’s abs.

_Holy abs. God, what kind of workouts does a girl have to do to get those?_

Catra waited till she felt her body heat up a few degrees before gaining the sense to look away.

_Jeez, I’m such a fucking perv._

Coach Octavia made her way from where she was flitting through the papers on her clipboard to stand in front of everyone.

“Now that you guys are all nice and warmed up, we are moving on to a more team-based drill that we call the 3v3v3 transition.” She paused to look up from her papers. “You will all be split into teams of three where two teams will start under opposing hoops and the third on the offensive on one half of the court. It’s simple. The offensive team will try and score a point and if they do then they will remain in possession and rotate to the other end and do that until they miss or get the ball stolen. When that happens, the defense will now be offensive and rotate to the other end. And the, now, defensive team will remain under the hoop. The first team to get to 5 shots made wins.”

Everyone nods.

“Now teams. Tara, Starla, and Abby; grab a red jersey and stand under the hoop the right of my shoulder. Catra, Tess, and Adora; get a black jersey and go to the one opposite of them. Ella, Gabriella, and Morgan stay in uniform shirt and pick a team to start as an offensive run against. I’ll be lightly reffing but I will hold you all under an honor code to not foul hard and frequent if at all.” Coach sits down in a sideline chair waiting as everyone sets up.

Ella’s team grabs a ball and sets up in front of Tara’s team leaving Catra time to survey how her own team was lined up. 

Since it was a three on three they had to spread out substantially farther along the arc. Adora and Tess were on the wings close to the arc but not quite on it. Catra stood just shy of the free-throw line, mentally prepping herself since this was the first time she was going to be playing against real pro basketball players. Forgetting that she, herself, was one as well.

Coach blew the whistle indicating the drill had started and Ella dribbled up from half-court making hand motions for her teammates to interpret as directions. 

Gabriella swept through the backcourt from the right wing to the left, leaving Morgan to rotate up to the top and making Tara miss her rotation. Ella passed to Gabriella who shot the ball of contact; not wanting to waste the open space in between her and the behemoth of a woman Tara was. The ball sunk into the hoop and Their team collected the ball and started over to Catra. 

This time Morgan brought it up, pushing into the key. Catra, staying low to the ground with her arms out, shuffled up to her. This effectively forced her back a bit as she tried to regain control of her space. The girl tried to dribble fake but Catra’s wide stance made it easier for her to react and retract her body back. 

Morgan started to dribble around the arc and as Catra was following her, she ran into a body posted up for an offensive pick. This left Catra stumbling, leaving her driving to the hoop. The body belonged to Ella, she found, as she spun off her and ran after her trying to regain ground. Adora dashed across the court and slid in front of Morgan and put her hands straight up preventing her from shooting anything worthwhile. 

Seeing that she was in a corner, Morgan picked up her dribble and pivoted on her back foot. She passed the ball back to Ella who received the pass, dribbled a bit to drive as close as she could to the rim with her fiancee guarding her, and shot a fade away. The ball hit the backboard and fell off the rim. 

_Hell yeah!_

Tess rebounded and brought it up. Adora settled into the corner as Catra stayed up on the wing, pushing into Starla.

_What can I say? I like to play physical._

Tess waved her hand in front of her indicating for Adora to push to the lane lines. Adora did so and Catra pushed off Starla and ran behind Tess, picking up the ball from a well-placed bounce pass.

She saw an open lane to the hoop so she pushed off her back foot and drove hard to the hoop seeing Tara rotate off Adora to protect the rim.

“Catra!” Adora yelled.

Catra looked over and passed the ball to Adora as the rotation left her open outside the three-point line. She hoped Adora had the skill to back up the call.

She squared her shoulders back and shot. The ball sank cleanly into the hoop leaving Catra wondering why she even doubted her accuracy in the first place. Adora did a little fist pump close to her chest. Catra didn’t know how she could be insanely ripped and hot as well as cute. She would never admit that she thought that about her though.

Catra being the closest rebounded as the rest of her team gross the half-court. She decided to be daring and throw off the balance of the defense.

She full-on sprinted despite the throbbing in her legs as she picked up speed. Catra drove past the defender at the top of the key and laid it in the hoop, almost running into the mat around the base of the hoop because she couldn’t stop fast enough.

_Heh._

Adora grabbed the ball as Catra regained her balance and momentum towards the other end of the court.

They kept up with the fast tempo she set and Adora pushed her way into the elbow before passing it to Tess who immediately popped into a jump shot even though Morgan was closer then catra would have been comfortable with. This just showed Tess’s confidence carried to games from her practices. A strong mentality Catra dreamed of having.

The shot hit the back of the rim and fell in making their run three for three. Catra relished in the thought of a clean sweep.

Adora brought the ball up again as she pointed and mouthed at Catra to make her way into the short corner. She slowed down when she got to the key and dribbled far to her right side to prevent a steal. 

She forced her way into the paint by shouldering Starla step by step back. Catra jogged up and screened Starla from the right as Adora made her way around Catra and shot the ball when she had a good look.

The ball bounced off the rim and into Starla’s hands, despite Tess’s uncompromising attempt at rebounding and boxing her out. They all collectively sighed and stood still. They collected their breaths, waiting for their next attempt at defense.

Catra was staring at the wood grain beneath her feet until she heard the sound of the ball dribbling grow close. She looked up and saw Ella barreling towards her before she suddenly stopped and passed the ball to Morgan as she crossed the half-court. 

Morgan dribbled up to Tess slowly, not guarding the ball with her body as well as she should because she was focusing on where Gabriella was. Tess took this opportunity to steal the ball.

“Catra go!” Tess yelled and Catra didn’t question her as she immediately pivoted and bolted down the court.

Adora crosses the arc line and pushes into the paint with Catra. The defense had their focus on them in the paint leaving Tess open just a little bit past the hashmark. She pulls up a jumper knowing the distance is a little bit longer then she is used to.

The shot sinks in anyways and Catra can hear a faint ‘yes!’ hush out of Tess as she rebounds.

They all slowly rotate, working out the details of their next play knowing it was the point to win. Tess stopped high up on the court, just past the center circle. She passed to Adora who swung her arms wide to try and create space before passing it right back to Tess.

Tess pushed up farther and passed the ball to Catra after she rotated into the lane. Catra was pushed up against the post defender, with her back to the hoop. Her instinct was to pivot and push off but she knew Tara was way larger then her and she wasn’t sure if pushing off of her would have given enough space for the ball to clear her fingertips.

Catra passed it back over to Adora who pushed hard into the block and dropped it into the hoop, subsequently dropping herself onto Abby. She rolled off as fast as she could extending an arm out to help her up.

“Sorry lost my balance!” Adora offered an apologetic smile.

Abby took Adora’s hand and patted her on the bicep. “Don’t worry, it happens. Though if we had a real ref, you would have got nailed for a foul. I was posted up.”

“Ha, I’ll thank the basketball gods then for my fortune.”  
Abby laughed and started her walk over to the sidelines.

Tess came over to her other two teammates and held out a hand for a high five. “We killed it. Hell yeah! More bragging points for dinner tonight with Ella.”

Catra and Adora both high five her and laugh.

“Nice job, all of you, ladies. I got a sense of your guy’s tempo behaviors and you all got to get semi-comfortable with each other before the scrimmage later. We have a few more drills before then though, so go grab water and we will carry along.”

Everyone shuffled off the court and grabbed some water, including Adora much to Catra’s delight.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

Catra was sweating hard, pressed up against Adora’s equally as sweaty back as Adora was trying to pivot to get the ball to the basket. Catra stood firm trying to cause a foul till the blonde pushed off and passed it to Tara.

They were two minutes into the first quarter of the scrimmage and Catra’s team, which consisted of Starla, Tess, Gabriella, and Morgan, were losing by three points since the last opposing team’s possession. This would be less of a problem if they were playing a whole 4 quarter game but today they were only playing a half of a game.

Tara faked a pass pump, leaving Starla trying to recover her balance as Tara shot nothing but net. Morgan took the ball outbound and Tess brought it up surveying the defense. 

Catra was, of course, matched up against Adora for this contest. Getting to see intense Adora stare straight into her eyes as they stood in the wing. You could see her trying to anticipate Tess’s next actions as well as watch Catra with an arm out touching her t-shirt.

_Nope didn’t miss this._

Catra dashed off Adora and yelled “Hey!” Grabbing Tess’s attention.

Tess bounce passed the ball underneath the hoop, expecting where Catra would end up. She was right and basketball bounced right into her hands. 

Catra braced her knees down low and pushed up, rocketing her body up and next to the basket. She let it roll off her fingers into the hoop. 

Once she landed on the ground she turned her head to Adora and mouthed ‘gotta be faster than that princess’. Catra knew the blonde knew what she said when her eyes narrowed and her eyes darkened a few shades of blue.

_Okay, maybe I didn’t miss this as much as I thought. I love fucking with Adora._

She jogged backward into her position and hunkered down waiting for their next move. The next few positions for both teams were pretty uneventful though with people trying to push off shots a little too quick and not waiting for high percentage looks.

With about a minute left in the quarter, Adora’s team was ahead by four points. Catra had the ball and was dribbling around the arc while she waited for her teammates to open up or screen. With no screen seemingly insight she pushed into the elbow and passed it high and hard over to Morgan in the right corner.

Catra moved into the paint, making a beeline to the hoop yelling Morgan’s name on the way. She got the memo and threw the ball up above the net where Catra met it halfway and guided it into the hoop for a seemingly clean alley-oop.

“Nice Serrano!” Tess whooped as she was running backward, facing Catra as she was running rotating as well.

Catra gave a breathless nod and trudged on, throwing her arms above her head to open up her lungs as much as possible. It helped a bit before the offense got down to the end of the court fully.

When Tara got down the court at the top of the key she threw her arm forward once in a hard dribble to clear space between her and the defender then shot for a three. It bounced off the front of the rim and everyone around the low post was jumping for the rebound. 

Catra looked up at the score clock and there were 10 seconds left. She made a split-second decision to start running up the court for a full early rotate hoping her teammates got the rebound.

When Starla pulled it down Catra yelled something between a hey! and a here! Starla chucked it as hard as she could down the court.

Catra caught it at the free-throw line and took one, two, three steps and dropped it in. She heard the stampede of steps slow down from behind her as Catra caught her breath. A few seconds later the coach blew her whistle indicating the end of the quarter. The score was tied 32 to 32 because of her last two aggressive pushes. Catra felt great if she was being honest. The thrill of scoring and being a deciding factor was the best drug out there. It was one of her favorite parts of basketball; when she could execute her plans on the court on the flip of a dime. Sure it didn’t happen all the time, but when it did, she was exhilarated. 

She walked over to her water bottle and took a swig before feeling a body press up against her back. The person leaned their head in so their lips were almost grazing Catra’s ear. She had a feeling she knew who it was.

“That was a lucky run. It’s nice playing against you again but I can’t wait to beat you like I did in the championships.” A voice all too familiar whispered roughly into her ear. 

Catra felt her body tense but tried to seem unruffled. She swallowed her drink and stood still.

“What happened to playing nice with each other, princess?”

Adora huffed out a chuckle. “Who said I wasn’t playing nice. I’m just competitive. What can I say? And you are my biggest competitor.”

Catra shivered at the air blowing past the shell of her ear. Adora stood back into a more upright stance, giving her space to breathe.

_She sure loved whispering into my ear. God this shouldn’t be flustering me as it is. Stop betraying me body!_

“Flatterer. You aren’t trying to get in my pants are you?” She smirked trying to take control back.

Adora’s cheeks flushed.“I- wha-. N-no!” She continued to stammer helplessly.

_Oh fuck, I read the tone wrong. Shit shit shit._

“I was just kidding Adora! Calm down. I’m not accusing you of anything. Jeez.” Catra swatted her hand in front of her a couple of times.

“Oh I-. I knew that! Heh, yeah.”

Adora shuffled awkwardly where she stood, bringing her hand to the back of her neck.

“Sure ya did, champ. Sure ya did.” 

Catra made a shooing motion to indicate Adora to walk back to her team.

“Y-yeah yeah right. Can’t wait to beat you.” 

She spun and walked away towards the other set of chairs on the sidelines.

_What an idiot._

\---------------------------

“Alright so, Catra, You’re benched. So are you Starla. Diane and Lizzie, You’re in.” The coach said, not looking up from her clipboard.

Catra wanted to argue but thought against it, knowing she just met this coach today and that it would be ill-advised to do so.

“For the other team...Ella and Tara out and uh,” Octavia looks up and points at the seats in front of her. “You two are in.”

Catra sat down and couldn’t hold in the audible huff that slipped past her lips as she watched the rest of the team that were playing make their way to the court. She caught Adora’s glance to her while the blonde was walking to set up for defense. Not looking away even when Catra made eye contact. She could almost hear telepathically what she was saying.

_“Get your ass out here” I bet. Or the alternative. “This will be easy now that you are gone.” Either fit._

Only when the whistle blew did Adora’s eyes stray from Catra’s. She settled her couch down a bit more so she could have more burst ability of necessary Catra thought.

She couldn’t rip her eyes off the blonde the entire time she was watching her play. It was the first real time Catra got to watch her play without having to account for everyone else on the court. Sure, she watched reruns of some of the games they played against each other on youtube and sure, maybe she also watched some of Brightmoon’s games live on tv when she had spare time but basketball in any facet feels different when you’re watching it live in the flesh. Courtside view nonetheless as well, sitting mere feet from the woman who has caused her such mental turmoil since the start of college, playing the that caused their contention without her. 

Catra didn’t feel jealous perse. It was more of a ‘that should be me guarding her right now’ and a ‘you are defending her wrong! She will swing on you from the right not left!’.

What also didn’t help was that every time Adora scored or had a good block, no matter where she was on the court, she would find Catras gaze with her own even if it was only for a second. It nonplussed Catra more then she’d like to admit. There was always something about Adora that made her look twice. She chalked it up to it being her gay ass seeing muscles on a woman.

“Woah! Denise? Denise!” Starla said bolting up from her seat and running to the court.

Catra looked up from her hands and saw a body on the floor under Tess’s feet struggling to get up.

“I’m fine I’m fine! I just got dizzy. I must have not drunk enough water.” Denise wavers to her feet and takes a couple of deep breaths. Starla took her hand.

“Well, we will get you some water and rest. It’s almost the end of practice anyways. Can I take her to the trainer’s office coach? I don’t think we have any on the floor right now.”

“Of course. Catra just sub in for the remaining minute, I want to see how this finishes.”

Her eyes flitted to Adora immediately as she stood up. Adora was already looking at her with excitement. It made Catra giddy knowing Adora liked playing against as much as she did. Even though she carried a deep-set resentment for Adora’s play style and outward aggressiveness at her.

Catra took the position Denise was in prior to her fall, preparing for an offensive play. 

They were 2 points behind the other team with 52 seconds remaining. It was possible if they got a shot off and in, play D and make them run the clock out then with what was remaining, make a shot and win. She took one final look at Adora with a wink. Adora smirked showing she was ready to fight.

Tess slapped the ball indicating the inbound pass timer started. Lizzie Scrambled off her defender and took the pass, holding the ball for a while before dribbling up while the defender shuffled back slowly.

Tess jogged from the inbound to the right post. Lizzie passed it to her and Tess shoved the block defender back and put a shot up against the glass and into the net with 36 seconds on the clock. That was barely enough time for a run the clock and score play so Catra decided to go aggressive and mobile.

Catra ran back to the other end as fast as she could standing in between the wind and the top of the key. This was more of a zone defense then a man to man but Catra didn’t think about the technicalities too much. She just wanted the ball.

One of the other new draftees brings the ball down and Catra sweeps into action. This causes a double team which could be risky if the person Catra left unguarded can get the ball. Tess and her are both as close as possible to the offensive player without drawing a foul. The girl gets flustered and pivots her body so that her back is to Tess leaving Catra in clear view of the ball.

Reaching out for the ball, Catra steps forward towards the midcourt line. She scooped the ball out of the unsuspecting player. 

A fast break towards the hoop left Catra feeling lighter than air. She Felt amazing leaping into the air at the hoop until her body hit the floor hard. She hit a large solid body on the way up causing her to fall on her side.

“Ow fuck!” Catra winced. It didn’t hurt that much but the initial shock was enough to sting a bit.

She released the ball from her hands letting it roll out from in front of her. She saw a hand reach out in front of her to help her up. It was Adora’s. Catra became furious. Of course, it was Adora. She ignored her hand and stood up herself.

Catra shoulder checked her no so lightly on her way to the sidelines. The game was over.

“Catra.”

Catra didn’t respond as she grabbed her water bottle and went straight to the locker room to change since the practice was over.

She let the door slam behind her and went to her bag shuffling the contents around looking for the clothes she wanted. The door of the locker room opened and shut again.

“Catra.”

“What?!” She threw the shirt she pulled out back onto the top of the bag. Coming face to face to Adora.

“Come on. Don’t make this how it was in college.” Adora rolled her eyes.

Catra stepped into her space, pushing her back and into a locker that was behind them. “You fucking body checked me out of the sky. Same old Greyskull shit with no call on the foul. So how hypocritical of you to say that.”

She stayed leaning against the lockers. “That is not my intention! Don’t tell me you don’t understand wanting to win and doing anything possible to get it. I don’t make the calls, the refs do so stop acting like I bribe them or something!”

“That’s not what I’m upset about it. It’s always so physical with you. On the court or off. I’ve left a game with a broken nose because of you for fuck’s sake!” Catra leaned in and jabbed her finger roughly into the top of Adora’s chest. 

Adora considered this for a second, face going soft then hardening back up. “Like I haven’t left a contest without one from you either. Scratches down my arms and one even on my jaw! Do you know how hard that is to cover up?”

“My. Broken. Nose. How do I cover that up?” That shut Adora up again. 

She looked increasingly sorry and soft. A side to Adora that Catra hadn’t started to see until recently. She was always so focused, rough, and intense whenever they were around each other prior to being teammates for the waste. The stumbling, Dorky Adora was weird for Catra if she was being honest. 

Catra pushed those thoughts away as she started to lean back, away from Adora. “Yeah, still jackass Adora. Maybe this won’t work out. Do you think they will let me apply for a tran-”

She got snatched back into Adora even closer than she previously was. Catra didn’t have even a second question before her lips were against Adora’s. They were roughly pushing into Catra’s own stiff ones. Adora’s hand moved up to her jaw but only for a moment as Adora pushed Catra off, seemingly gaining her sense of self-control.

“Oh god...I- I don’t know why I did that. Jeez, I’m sorry. Sooooo sorr-”

Catra pushed her body back against Adora’s, Grabbing her face with both hands and fully kissing her. Adora started to move her mouth against Catra’s again after the shock subsided.

It was rough and nothing about it was clean. The only thing Catra could think about was the feeling of all the spots on her body where Adora was touching her. This was wrong and Catra was as fully aware of that as she could be with Adora’s tongue grazing her bottom lip. Adora let out a hum when Catra pressed a bit further into her.

It knocked some sense back into Catra and she shoved herself off of Adora like Adora had done to her moments ago. 

“No. We can not be doing this.”

Not even letting Adora speak she grabbed her bag and promptly walked out of the room, running into Tara in the hallway.

Tara put her hand on Catra’s shoulder. “Woah there Serrano, you good?”

“Yeah, i just…. I got a text from a friend saying that I needed to get there urgently. So ha.” She offered her best small smile and trudged past her towards the exit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow wow wow that happened.
> 
> anyways.
> 
> Karen... She... She took the kids and I have nothing left. please spare some comments so I don't go homeless? :)
> 
> Karen, if you are reading this...fuck you and the kids.


	7. chapter seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah this one is kind of short because I have a lot going on in my editing side of life.
> 
> More drama ensues

Adora just had her hand over her mouth, standing in complete and utter disbelief even as she heard the door slam shut and then open almost immediately after. The rest of her team walked in and past her, deep in conversation.

_What did I just do???????_

She stood there for a couple more seconds while she tried to control her still ragged breath. She could feel all the way from the tips of her ears to the top of her collarbone burning in what she assumed was a heated blush. It fit in with everyone else, just looking like she was tired and run battered from practice. She packed up her bag after checking for her keys and phone then walked towards the training room, deciding that maybe running these feelings off on a treadmill was her best option despite the ache in her legs.

The training room wasn’t too far but Adora counted every step of her foot, trying to distract herself. It was a total of 63 steps until she arrived in front of the glass door to the conditioning facility. She walked to the nearest treadmill and dropped her bag next to it. Standing on the machine now, Adora turned it on slow warming up with a light jog.

Her heart was still racing as though she was in the middle of a triathlon, sometimes skipping a beat when her brain mustered up the nerve to flash the mental images of what had happened. The look of Catra’s blush ridden face right after they kissed the first time, the feeling of the lithe waist under her palms the second time and of course the feeling of Catra’s mouth moving against hers after she slammed her body back into the lockers. Her body prickled.

Adora shook her head and turned the treadmill up to a fast pace. Faster and sooner than she usually would. 

Breathing got strenuous quick. The full force of training thrumming in aches through her body and the sound of her plagued mind that was filled with regrets and images she feels gross thinking about. 

She was losing traction on the treadmill as her legs started to burn and slow. Adora dropped the speed a couple of notches but kept on till she was aching in every bone and was dripping in perspiration. 

A cold shower, that should help. With a multitude of things currently.

Adora opted for the showers here in the facility, seeing them out of the corner of her eye while she was running. She grabbed her bag and pushed through the washroom doors. 

It was a well lit, grey walled room. Just as modern looking as the exterior of the building. There was a small storage area for bags and clothes next to a large towel rack. Next to the rack was a bin in the wall that Adora assumed was where you put the dirty towels after the shower.

The showers themselves were all in the same area with no division in between the square showerheads. There were divots in the wall that held bottled soaps. Underneath the stationary shower head was a head on a lead. It was a just about forearm length and flat like a small plank of wood.

Adora took her clean clothes out of her bag and sat them next to her on the bench. She peeled off all of her sweaty clothes and folded them into the bottom of her bag. 

She strode over to the nearest head and turned the handle about seventy degrees, effectively leaving it freezing and effectively making her yelp when it hit her collarbone. She hissed through clenched teeth trying to accustom herself to the unique burn of ice water. Reaching up with tremoring arms, Adora pulled her hair tie out letting ponytail fall over the shaved undercut around her head. She had enough hair on the top of her head that when it was put down, it almost completely covered any trace of her buzzed head.

The hair started getting buzzed in the middle of senior year. Her hair was always so thick that it made putting it up a daily hassle so when she got the undercut, it thinned it substantially. She also liked the way it looked on her, though that wasn’t it’s main purpose. Just an added bonus.

Adora felt the goosebumps on her arms and legs rise as she lathered shampoo into her hair crudely. Despite the cold water that had her body practically vibrating she couldn’t get Catra out of her head; though the thoughts were more or less tame compared to those that preceded them

_Oh god, she hates me even more now right? She probably thinks I’m such a perv._

She spins so her back is facing the stream of water. Her head tilts back and the water that runs from ends of her hair is soapy and sits on top of the drain when the water displaces from it and in past the grate.

_Why did I do that?... Why did she let me do that?..._

_Oh._

_My._

_God._

_Why did she kiss me back?_

Adora’s hands drug across her face and met at the pointed tip of her chin in a sigh. She slathered conditioner in her hair and rinsed it. She turned the water off. The air seemed ten degrees colder than the water with the air conditioning blowing on her damp skin.

_And why did I want to keep doing it? I haven’t gone on a date in a while maybe that’s why? Am I really such a touched starved lesbian that I rip personal boundaries to shreds? I hate myself more than usual today._

_I mean maybe Catra is the same way. That’s why she kissed back right? Right._

She dried off her body with a towel and briefly wrung her hair. Her clothes were thrown on haphazardly and Adora pushed the door to the bathroom open, starting the trek to her car.

_1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6…._

__________________________

With the back of her sleeveless sweatshirt adequately soaked from her soggy hair, Adora was lounging on her side upon her bed. The wind that cascaded around her body on her ride home was obviously not enough.

She was starring at Catra’s Instagram profile page trying to decide whether she wanted to text her or not.

_Would that be weird?_

No. She thought. She needed to talk to her, to fix whatever she started. Adora opened the dm’s of their previous brief conversations. 

Catra was an enigma to Adora. The random text messages during the ungodly hours of the night, her rough attitude towards her, Catra caring if she drank water, the, what Adora assumed was, mindless flirting on the sidelines, then finally loop back to the rough attitude and her clear distaste for Adora. It not only confused her immensely but made her struggle with where the lines of their acquaintanceship ended; what was appropriate for her to say and what wasn’t.

She tapped her finger on the text composition bar and watched the keyboard slide up.

**hey**

She deleted the text.

_No. Too basic._

**so uh, that happened haha.**

She rolled her eyes at herself and deleted it again.

_Absolutely not. Just be forward._

**adoragrey_: can we talk?**

Adora sent it then locked her phone and threw it towards the end of her bed. She was feeling like a teenager sending a risky message to their crush, only this person wasn’t her crush and she felt thoroughly upset with her in-person actions.

Her phone buzzed and she scrambled onto her knees grabbing her phone and turning it on, ignoring the thudding in her ears.

**imessage - now  
Glimmer**   
_Hey! How did training go? Give me and Bow a facetime when you are free. Miss your ugly mug :(_

She hated how her heart evened out at the sight of Glimmer’s name. Her heart shouldn’t have been that deafening anyways.

With her phone swiped open she pressed the facetime button underneath her friend’s name. It rang out a few tones before her face grew smaller on the screen, replaced by Glimmer adjusting the position of their laptop and bow looking down at his phone in his lap.

Adora could barely see Bow past Glimmer’s body taking up three-fourths of the screen as she leaned forward to mess with something on the screen. When Glimmer sat back down on the couch and he looked up from his phone.

“Adora! Hey!” He dropped his phone and waved hard.

Glimmer leaned back, trying to avoid getting hit. “Bow. Chill, please. She can see you fine.” She huffed out something between a sigh and a laugh with a slight smile splayed on her face.

“I know I know. Me and Adora just don’t text or call as often as you do so I’m having Greyskull withdrawal.” He feints a fever, putting his hand over his head in a dramatic show.

“Ha, I miss you too Bow.” Adora says as she props her phone up on a candle that sits on her dresser. “How’s New York been since I left? I’m getting serious homesickness.” 

“It’s definitely not as lively now that your gone but that bar finally finished getting built!” Glimmer exclaimed. She loved going to bars, it was a weekend staple for them all throughout college.

“Oh! Is it that one called uh...What’s the name...Mystery uh-”

“Mystacor! It’s super aesthetic!” Glimmer pumped both of her fists horizontally in front of her.

“Glimmer is biased though because it’s purple themed and you how she is with purple.” Bow chuckled. “But yeah it’s actually really nice. When you come down for a visit we will def have to go there.”

Adora smiled at the thought of visiting. “That sounds great. Can’t wait.”

“More pressing issues are at hand though…” Glimmer starts.

“How was training!” Bow finished.

_That’s a...loaded question._

“It went great! The coach is just as scary as she on tv interviews but nothing I can’t handle.” She pointed a thumb as herself smugly. “One more week of this and then it’s preseason!”

Bow smiled “Ha sure. Go get ‘em tiger!” 

Glimmer leaned forward in front of Bow. “What about Serrano? As I said, I will curb stomp her on command. Has she said anything to you?”

“Uh, No other than stuff on the court when we are playing on the same teams for drills”  
Adora hated lying. Couldn’t do it for the life of her, but for the sake of her own sanity, she could not speak on this mess of a subject till Adora herself has sorted it out. 

She crosses her fingers hoping the distance helps improve her lying skill. “So yeah nothing to report General!”

“Okay okay good. I just worry about you okay? I know how everything is with-”

“Don’t.” Adora says more harshly then she intended to. “Sorry sorry. Just like, not right now okay?”

“Don’t be sorry. My fault.”

The silence lasted for a beat. Then another. Bow clears his throat.

“Anyways!! I’m glad you are enjoying yourself at least a tiny bit out there in the sand. How has my dad’s motorcycle bene treating you?”

Adora pipped back up. “Oh just great! I still can’t believe they gave me it. I know they have a couple but like, free of charge! I feel powerful driving it. Sometimes I’ll go for a midnight spin to shake nerves.”

Glimmer rolled her eyes. “Adora, you have enough muscle mass to almost big up that hunker. You don’t need it to feel powerful. But you do look badass.” She laughs “ OH OH OH, Remember when you went for that test drive before you left and when you parked outside the dorms you had all the boys and girls basically drooling. Oh my GOD, that was hilarious!” 

Adora blushed at the memory. “Heh, yeah that was kinda funny. Also kind of embarrassing.”

“I swear to god Adora, you are like the hottest lesbian in New York. You could have anyone and you are out here twiddling your thumbs about attention. News flash! No matter where you go, people are looking at you. I know damn sure I would be.” A pause. “Platonically of course. I love you Adora but you aren’t my type.”

“Oh no! How will I survive not being the apple of Glimmer’s eye!” She falls back flat on her bed, earning a chuckle from Bow. She puts one arm up, holding out a finger. “Oh, right. Normally.”

Glimmer laughs and swats her hand in front of her. “Fuck you, Adora.”

Adora quirked a brow and tilted her head. “I thought you just said you didn’t want to? You’re sending me mixed signals babe.”

Bow doubled over laughing while Glimmer gasped.  
“Oh my fucking god, ADORA!”

Between laughs when Adora got her breath she said. “Chill chill.”

Her phone vibrated, making it slide down off the candle and flat on it’s back. She leaned over and grabbed the phone, swiping to see the offending notification. 

Upon reading the notification briefly her heart stuttered. 

“Hey, guys I’ll uh, call you later. Super hungry right now woo. Okay bye!” 

**Instagram- Now  
CatSerra27:N-**

She didn’t read the rest of the notification before hanging up without letting her friends get in even a word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. Seriously, these comments make me smile and I love all of them and all of you that I see return chapter after chapter.
> 
> if you want to talk anything shera, feel free to hit me up on Instagram. my @ is @_sherashit_
> 
> I also do edits
> 
> Again, i beg for comments to feed me. Karen is still gone.


	8. chapter eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh boy, it's been a while eh?  
> Sorry for the delay! I had back surgery last week and the meds I've been taking made it hard to stay lucid enough to write anything worthwhile for about a week so.
> 
> AnYgAys, I hope this feeds you well. :)

**CatSerra27: No not really.  
read**

Catra rolled her eyes and leaned back in the chair she was sitting in at Scorpia’s kitchen table onto its two back legs, effectively leaving space for her shoeless feet to gracefully float down onto the table cloth. The red cloth crumpled a bit as her heels dug in. 

_Holy shit, was that even a second after I sent it?_

She huffed and watched the blips of the letters pop onto her screen where it explained that Adora was typing. 

“So, I was thinking lasagna for dinner or oh oh oh! maybe we could do r-” Scorpia stopped after she passed the threshold into the kitchen area, seeing her lounging on the table. 

She thins her eyes out. “Catra! Feet. Off. The. Table. We have manors in this household.” 

Catra looked up from her phone at Scorpia but didn’t make any advances to move from where she was settled. Scorpia uncrossed her arms and started over to the table.

She huffed in clear disdain. “You asked for this wildcat.”

She scooped Catra up bridal style and walked out of the kitchen with her thrashing in her grasp. The phone flopped onto her stomach face down and as she was being weaved through the hallway, it slid in between their two bodies. 

“Put me down!” Catra’s voice shared no notes of amusement as she squeaked on the vowels.

“Ask and you shall receive!” 

Scorpia released her a few feet above the couch. She watched her free fall to the low seated furnishing, landing with an audible grunt and the added clack of something hard at standing women’s feet. 

“My phone!” Catra scrambled on the couch. Her heels and elbows looked for purchase as they slid against the velvety cushion cover’s surface. 

The taller woman gasped, bent down, and picked up the phone. The screen was still lit as she inspected it and gave it a quick once over. She flipped it back to the front to read the screen then gripped it as she dropped her arm down.

Catra swings her hand out, trying to grab at it to no avail. 

Scorpia leans back away from her and the back of her calves hit a coffee table. It wobbles and she slams her hand down on it. It puts her in an awkward far lean and she slaps a hand on her other hip. “It’s fine it’s fine! no cracks or nothin’!” 

She cracks an annoyed smirk. “Then give me my phone back.”

“Sorry, no can do bud. You didn’t listen to me when I said to not talk to Adora.” She takes the phone and puts it on the top of a bookshelf that Catra can’t reach up to. 

“I can’t believe you are parenting me right now. This is fucking ridiculous! I didn’t even text her first.” Catra flipped onto her stomach mid-sentence, mumbling the remaining bits into the sofa.

“You asked for my advice and my advice was to talk with her in person after you formulate your thoughts.”

She craned her neck and pushed her head up off the cushion. “I said I didn’t want to talk to her though! Did you even read the messages?!” 

Scorpia adopted a soft expression and raised her eyebrows. “Have you formulated your thoughts?” 

Catra squeezed her eyes shut, gripping her thumbs in her fist. “For fuck’s sake I-” She released her grip and exhaled to calm herself. “Yes. Just...Give me my phone back.”

“I don’t know why but my gut tells me you're lying… also, you know how I feel about her. I just do-“

“Don’t get good vibes from her. She hurt you and I can’t stand people like that.” Catra finished in a mocking tone. “I know Scorp, but that was the past and she kind of apologized for it?”

Scorpia was always a little protective of Catra. Even from day one on the highschool court, she would give Catra hugs after bad games and silently curse the other team or put bandaids on small cuts after games. 

“Was that before or after you kissed in the locker room?”

Catra’s face flushed and all the fond memories of Scorpia in her brain turned to ash. “STOP! You know exactly what I am getting at.”

Scorpia threw her hands up in feigned disbelief. “Oh no, of course. Sorry Catra but I just want you to see how out of order,” She shakes her hands in a big circle in front of her for emphasis. “All of this is.”

Catra quirks an eyebrow up. “What do you mean _order_?” 

“Oh, you know the whole crush thing! You have to be friends first. I know you haven’t dated much but there are like standards to be a good gentle wom-“ Catra’s jaw became increasingly more slack the longer Scorpia spoke.

“Scorpia if you don’t shut the fuck up right now, I swear to god I will kill you.” 

Catra sighed and swung her legs around so she was sitting up on the couch. 

“We aren't 14-year-olds Scorp. She isn’t my _crush_. It was a one time mistake. It’ll never happen again because I’m not letting some horny, touch starved blonde ruin basketball for me.” Catra scoffs.

She kind of sympathizes with touch starved. It’s been a while since she has been with another woman. Catra hasn’t ever been in a serious relationship. Sure she has had some fleeting moments where a crush occupied her mind back in middle and high school but those days were far behind. Basketball was always first. If it wasn’t training she was showering, sleeping or studying. 

In college, one night stands always seemed like the same option when she did go out with her friends. Sometimes she got a _little_ too drunk or was feeling a _little_ too lonely and a pretty woman was giving her a _little_ too much attention. Much to Scorpia’s chagrin and sanity as when they were on by weeks and in-between seasons, Catra’s schedule cleared up significantly. It became an every weekend. Sometimes solidary weekday occurrence if the leading circumstances were right. But never the same person twice.

Catra sighs. “A moment of weakness. I promise Scorpia.”

Scorpia breathes in and squeezes her eyes shut for a moment before popping them back open in a smile. 

“Whatever you say, wildcat!” She takes a long step with her left foot and pivots before walking back towards the kitchen. Her voice rings out distant once she makes it into the other room. “Like I was saying, lasagna?”

Catra drops her head onto the back of the couch with a thump and closes her eyes. “Yeah, s’fine.” 

She heard the clutter of cabinet doors opening and pans clashing as she drifted off into a light sleep, training finally catching up with her body.

———————————-

Catra had forgotten about her phone till Scorpia grabbed it after dinner off the shelf, returning to the front door where she stood ready to leave. 

Scorpia had ended up bringing their food into the living room and they ate there in front of the T.V after she woke up a begrudging Catra. They didn’t talk so much as they interchangeably made remarks about how dumb the reality show rerun that was playing was. This was one of their favorite pastimes that started back when they would hang out after school before practice. Sometimes Emily would join them when she wasn’t busy doing... whatever Emily did. 

Taking the phone from Scorpia’s outstretched arm, She made some passing remark about her ‘mom’ side causing Scorpia to chuckle. Catra adjusted her grip on the phone and pressed the side button to try and turn it on.

No luck.

She rolled her eyes so hard it hurt deep behind her forehead. “Great, it’s dead! Did you leave it on or something? I still had like fifty percent left.”

Scorpia snapped in front of her chin. “Ah shoot! Yeah, I probably did. Sorry! You can use my charger if you want, it’s ju-”

“No no, don’t worry about it. I have to get going and I have a car charger anyways. Thanks for dinner.”

Catra shoots a small smile and opens the front door and starts for her car in the driveway.

“Alright and anytime! Drive safe!” Catra doesn’t look back when she hears Scorpia but rather throws up a keyed hand in acknowledgment. She hears the front door shut as she unlocks her car.

Settling down in the low seat of the car showed itself to be a strenuous task for her burning quadriceps. It resulted in Catra’s sitting motion to look more like a ragdoll getting thrown sideways into a car rather than a human taking a seat. She hissed and mumbled a curse as she drugs her legs next to the pedals. 

The car started with a low rumble and her phone that was now plugged in blipped on with a battery charging symbol. 

She knew the drive home was going to be ugly and slow. It was about 6:30 and the slew of cars on their way out of the city made it a hellish rush hour on the already cramped Nevada highways. Catra lived a bit out of the city so she had to join the nine to fives in the outbound lanes as she stared longingly at the less packed oncoming lanes for most of her journey.

At a long complete pause in all motion on the highway, Catra picked up her phone that was now at ten percent. 

She thumbed through her missed notifications from the past couple of hours. Her eyes widen when she remembers why her phone was dead in the first place.

_Shit._

Scrolling on her home page, Catra opens up Instagram and works her way to the private messages. She sees that Adora was the last to write but it had appeared greyed out as if she had already read the message.

_Double shit._

She opens up the direct message between her and Adora.

**CatSerra27: No not really.**

**adoragrey_: why not? Out of everything we needed to talk about, this is one that needs to take precedent.**

**adoragrey_: look.**

**adoragrey_: i’m sorry i kissed you. i… don't know what i was thinking. i want to think it was the exhaustion but like, you kissed me back so im confused. was it just me or?**

**adoragrey_: i mean i know i'm a good kisser and all…**

_What an arrogant asshole._

**adoragrey_: sorry wrong time for a joke. it’s just that you're sitting there reading all of these messages as i write them and you’re not saying anything. i feel like cady heron with the amount word vomit going on.**

**adoragrey_: okay now i feel ridiculous sitting here texting a wall.**

**adoragrey_: i don’t know why i even reached out. sorry for trying to work this out like adults.**

_Triple shit._

_This literally couldn’t have gone any worse_

Catra started to type out a response before ultimately deciding against it and backspacing till it fully deleted.

She truly had no idea how to handle this situation. On one hand she felt annoyed at how stupid Adora acted and texted. Catra had said no and she didn’t understand how Adora couldn’t get that through her thick skull. On the other she actually kind of felt bad that she genuinely thought Catra was purposely being a dick. Though that thought was not far off from how Catra was on a daily basis. 

The traffic inched forward a couple of meters and then paused again. 

Catra gripped the steering wheel right in a frustrated sigh she muttered, “Fuck!” picking up gusto on the consonants at the end. 

Looking back down at her phone she slid out of their conversation and saw the pink ring around Adora's profile icon indicating she had a story. Catra clicked one it and it pulled a single story that contained a photo of Adora with white text next to her on the screen.

Adora was sweating and her hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail with no whips hanging out. Catra thought that she must have just redone it.  
She was smiling and holding her thumbs up at the camera wearing a baggy sleeveless maroon sweatshirt that was drenched at the shoulders and down her chest, making it obvious that she had dumped water on herself in the name of cooling down faster. 

The text next to it read: 

> _getting in some extra practice after training today to work off the nerves at the @sunrisecourts ! they gave me a private court and everything to practice on, how cool!_

_what a dork._

Catra knew that court from one of the ones she sent Adora when they first talked a month ago. It was a really nice training facility just outside of the city. Actually it was pretty close to where she was right now She looked up at the top of her phone to see when the story had been posted.

**3 mins**

Catra stared at the number hard before glancing up and seeing an exit ramp to her right. She maneuvered her car into the lane over, it being much more clear because of the fact it was an exit ramp, and drove away from the highway and onto a main road. 

What she was doing was incredibly impulsive and she knew that but she was already off the highway before she could talk sense into herself.

The drive was no more than five minutes which left her with little time to rationally think this through.

When Catra pulled into the rather small parking lot she looked for Adora’s motorcycle. For some reason Catra couldn't quite place, the vehicle had been ingrained in her memory since that day almost a month ago. It was one of those Suzuki street looking models with a matte black finish. She had only known this because she had a motorcycle phase in highschool, while rather impractical for sports players, they were sexy. Well as sexy as an inanimate object could be.

She turned into the front drive of the rectangular parking lot leaving her with a good view of the rest of the spots. Catra craned her chin up high trying to see above the cars but also not let the top of the inside of her car get in the way. After a quick scan she spotted the vehicle in question parked between two large suvs. Adora was there strapping on a backpack to an improvised storage rack on the back.  
Catra slammed the handle of the shift into drive and whipped her car into the drive lane Adora was parked in. She parked in the middle of the driveway and pulled her keys out, stepping onto the pavement that was radiating heat from the unrelenting Crimson Waste sun.

Adora turned around when she heard the car door shut.

“Catra? What ar-” She pauses and sighs. “Sorry one of those ‘I picked the same training center as you so leave’ things right? Well I’m actually leaving right now so don't worry.”

“What? No. That’s not why I am here.”

Adora cocked her head in a squint and readjusted the helmet under her wing. “Why else would you be here?”

“I-” 

Catra hadn’t thought this far and it became painfully clear as she was left slack jawed trying to gather anything to come out her mouth other than choked off syllables she was producing right now. 

_How do you explain to someone that,_

_‘It was a spur of the moment thing.’_

_And_

_‘I honestly have no idea myself.’_

_Without sounding like a wack job?_

“This was a bad idea. Sorry I don’t know what I was thinking.” Catra turns away from Adora and walks back closer to her car.

“Wait.”

Adora grabs her wrist from where it was hanging on the side of her body. Catra turns and ends up pressed up against Adora where their arms met at a cross. Way closer than she expected her to be.

“Since you're here can we just talk? Or are you still trying to avoid it like you were earlier?”

“That’s part of why I’m here. I wasn't actively avoiding your messages there wa-”

A loud honk made them both jump apart. A guy in his car was stuck behind Catra’s parked one. He rolled down his window.

“GET THE FUCK OUT OF THE WAY!” He made shooing gestures with an arm that was sticking out of the now fully opened window.

Adora recovered from the initial shock before Catra. “Sorry! We were just about to head inside, right?”She looked back over to Catra with a hopeful glance.

“Yeah, okay.” She said just loud enough for Adora to hear her.

Catra clambered into the car and parked in the closest spot she could find as Adora made her way back into the training facility.

When Catra walked into the entrance she found that Adora was waiting for her leaned up against the wall that separated the lobby from the locker rooms. Adora spots her and 

“Thought we could talk in here rather than in the lobby because I don’t know if this is a conversation you want to have in public.”

“It’s a conversation I'd rather not have at all but it seems that you are unavoidable so, sure let’s go into the locker room. We have a good history with those.” Catra rolled her eyes and walked past a pink dusted cheeked Adora. She got to the door and held it open with the most shit eating smirk her face could muster. “After you princess.”

Adora rolls her eyes and walks through the door. “I really don’t understand why you call me that.”

“And you may never know.” Catra shut the door behind them.

The locker room was deafeningly silent after they both shuffled to a stop in the middle of the shower portion.  
It was completely empty and not even the sound of a dripping faucet could be heard. 

Catra jerked her hands forward and out into the space in front of her a bit. “So?”

Adora cocked her eyebrow in response.“So? I already apologized when I texted you. Like I said, I don’t know what came over me. Your turn.”

“I don’t know...The whole apology sounded disingenuous after the whole ‘i’m a great kisser’ shtick. You lost me after that.”

Rolling her eyes, Adora paced away. “Come on Catra, it was a joke. I also apologized for that.”

“Oh but I think you believe it, that narrative fits your massive ego personality.”

Catra was purposely pushing her buttons. It was the only way she could feel in control of the conversation while she tried to figure out what to say. Snark came to her as easy as plants absorbing the sun. It was her protective layer. How she pushed questions she didn’t want to answer away, how she twisted conversations when she didn’t want to talk to someone. 

A crucial thing Catra forgot though was that she was talking to Adora right now. 

Adora. The idiot beefcake with a face to draw you in and a competitive side that you never wanted to draw out. 

That’s all Catra is good for in these moments though if their past had any say.

So when Adora strides back to her and pins her against a wall without even touching her, she shouldn’t have been as shocked as she was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what an ending.
> 
> water my crops and leave a comment p l e a s e.
> 
> also for all of you that have reached out to me on Twitter and Instagram, I LOVE YOU. your dm's and post comments make my day better.
> 
> as always stan catradora or parish
> 
> reach out to me on Twitter @sherashit  
> and on Instagram @_sherashit_


	9. chapter nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ha i left you guys on a cliff hanger for over a week
> 
> get fucked.
> 
> nah but s o r r y. I had a lot going on with recovery and also some editing shit for my instagram.
> 
> enjoy this shorter chapter.

For a multitude of reasons, Catra was conflicted with how she wanted this situation to pan out.

She was pissed beyond belief with Adora’s egregious behavior. How she felt like she could just do things like this and not expect Catra to be upset or surprised. She wanted to push Adora off of her and into next week.

Adora was staring down at Catra, arm propped up against her head and ocean blue eyes now seeming to have greyed over. Her brows were slightly furrowed making the skin on the top of her nose wrinkle slightly. Strands of hair were loose and now that she was closer, Catra realized her hair was soggy and she smelled strongly of one of those men’s body washes that was familiar but Catra couldn’t place its name. Probably from taking a shower in one the showers connected to the wall she was forced against no more than a half-hour ago.

This brought her to the other end of the spectrum for how she wanted this to crumble. Catra wanted Adora to kiss her as she did back in the Waste’s locker room. No matter how much she tried to forget the feeling all day, her mind always lingered on it. Catra couldn’t believe the hold Adora had on her psyche from a single kiss. A mistake.

Catra turned her head to the side, unable to look at her anymore without combusting.  
“Did you just come in here with me so you could deflect or do you want to actually have a conversation?”

Catra huffed. She hated that Adora was reading her so easily right now. 

She continued to count the small tiles on the floor to her right, under where their shadows danced on the floor. Catra could make out two separate pairs of legs but as her eyes furthered up, their forms melded and became a blob that extruded out of Adora’s back and head and then into the wall. 

Catra was at thirty-two before a hand grabbed her jaw between a thumb and a pointer finger and borderline jerked her head back up towards Adora’s own.

“Well?” Adora’s eyebrows creased further as she leaned her head in even closer.

Adora’s thumb was barely touching the corner of Catra’s mouth and she imperceptibly shivered at the thought of feeling it graze across her bottom lip as it catches on the swell and pulls her lips open. Putt-

_Stop. Please stop._

“I can’t- I can’t think with you manhandling me like this! Why do you think you can act like this?” Catra sputtered.

Adora chuckled lowly. “I don’t see you trying to move. You sure you don’t?”

“I-! Stop! Shut up!” She yanks her head back and slams it into the wall behind her. “FUCK.”

The blonde in front of her loses the teasing look and winces. She adjusts her hands from her jaw to the base of the back of Catra’s neck in a cradle. Adora pulls her from the wall softly.

“Oh shoot I’m sorry!” Adora slides her hand up her short hair until it’s resting on the bump that was forming. “I don’t... I don’t know why I act like this when I’m around you. Like everything is a competition of dominance.” She huffs. “Even when it seems like all it has done is hurt you.” 

The last part was barely audible, being whispered into the stale blank air of the locker room.

Catra’s heart caught in her throat at the look in Adora’s face held. One she has never seen her produce in their 4 plus years of knowance. Adora genuinely seemed upset with herself. Her eyes were shut and her jaw was clenched, making her jawline sharper than it already was.

Her walls were breaking down and Catra’s resolve was now up for forfeit. For someone she hated, the sight of Adora being upset made her heart clench in a way that made her soft.

“Hey, Hey.” Catra stood up a bit straighter in Adora’s grasp. “It hasn’t all been you. I’ve been pushing back with that same mentality. I’ve reciprocated the same things you have done. Heh, in more areas than one.” She couldn’t believe the shit she was spewing out of her mouth because of this girl.

Adora’s eyes opened and she blushed at Catra’s attempt at lightening the mood.

“I wanted to ask about that. Why did you uh… Kiss me back?” 

Ah, The inescapable question. She really didn’t have an answer for that, Catra was still trying to figure out why.

“I don’t know.” She states plainly.

Neither of them says anything. They just stand there as if they move, the world would fall apart. Breaths are kept shallow and their eyes locked on the others.

Well, until Adora’s gaze dropped to Catra’s lips for a heavy second and then snapped back up to her eyes. Her blush deepens and she drops her hands from the wall and Catra’s head.

“Ah, personal space! Right you said something about that. Sorr-”

Catra grabbed her from the large armholes of her tank top. Adora stumbles and lands in a lean on the wall. Closed fist to elbow. Their noses bumped together.

“What are you doing!?”

“Adora, you idiot. If you don’t kiss me right now, I swear to god.”

Adora, with little to no hesitation, pushes Catra hard into the wall, her lips closing the distance. The heat from this morning not seeming to have ever died down. 

Catra laid her hands on Adora’s stomach. She pushed against the loose fabric and drug her hands down slowly trying to feel those achingly delicious abs of hers. After finishing her trail and even whimpering at the results, she settled her grip around the other’s hips and drug her in even closer.  
The action elicits a surprised yelp from Adora.

Catra caught her bottom lip between her teeth before she pulled too far, her teeth raking across the inside of her lip before releasing with a pop.

Adora’s eyes adopted that greyed out haze like before. She cocked an eyebrow.

“Trying to outdo me from this morning?”

She rolled her eyes with a growl at her cockiness. She moved so that her lips momentarily hovered oh so achingly close before feeling the blondes breath hitch against her neck when she leaned over to her ear.

“I don’t know princess, it seems like I’m already running in circles around you.” 

Adora chuckled and took the opportunity to litter kisses along Catra’s jaw and down her neck. The only thing Catra could think about was being marked up to high hell. Just the thought of her perfect caramel skin covered in purple and pink marks under the arena lights alone made her groan into the air above her.

Adora scraped her teeth over her pulse point before biting down, sucking a hickey and the noise that left Catra’s throat was nothing short of strained.

Catra’s hands released her grip from Adora’s shoulders and carded her fingers into the loose base of her ponytail, effectively yanking it out and letting it fall over the backs of her palms. 

Adora licked a long stripe from the fresh bruise to the ridge of her jaw and something of a choked whimper released from Catra’s throat. She pushed Adora’s head harder into the junction.

Removing her hands from the vice grip they held on Catra’s shoulders, Adora slid them up the loose sweatshirt catra was sporting. Her hands find purchase on her lithe hips as she slides her leg in between Catra’s thighs. 

She sucked in a breath and ground her hips absentmindedly down harder into the muscular leg. _“Adora-”_

A growl into her neck was the only warning Catra got before Adora picked her up from the back of her thighs and prompted Catra to wrap her legs around her torso.

Adora walked them backward and she was vaguely aware of that fact. The smell of the blonde’s hair that was now draped in front of her face was overwhelmingly warm. It smelled nothing like she would have imagined this rough-edged athlete to. 

It smelled of warm vanilla and something Catra could only explain as scent the air adopted when it was about to rain in the fall. 

Catra felt her back hit the seat of a changing bench as Adora awkwardly one-legged a crawl over her because of the small bench. 

Once Adora got as situated as she could, she ran her fingertips feather-light up from the bottom of her thighs and to the bottom of her sweatshirt that, if Catra was being honest, was unbearably hot. Even in the cold air that was spewing out of the air conditioning.

Finally, Catra thought as Adora started kissing her again. But all thoughts freefall as she felt Adora’s tongue lick into her mouth and run against her own.

Adora groaned and continued moving her hands up and underneath Catra’s shirt only stopping just short of the bottom of her sports bra to run back down.

This continued for a couple of laps of her hand’s path before Catra got frustrated.

_God just fucking touch me already!_

Opting for actions rather than words, Catra arched her back as Adora’s hands came to the top. Her hands finally sliding on top of her breasts lightly. God, anything she would give right now to have Adora take the fucking hint was fair game.

Thankfully, she did and Adora hummed into her mouth as she squeezed lightly. 

Catra full out _moaned_ in response, arching her back even further into Adora’s strong grasp.

_Oh, to be manhandled by a sports goddess._

Using her forearm and elbows that were still left peaking out of the end of the sweatshirt, Adora bunched the article of clothing up till it was looped around Catra’s throat and above her chest.

She kissed down Catra’s neck again, starting with the corner of her mouth and trailing to the spot in between her clavicles. 

Catra’s jaw clenched and face twisted in the pursuit of keeping any other unwanted noises from resurfacing.

Her heart has officially busted out of her chest when she saw a lust-driven Adora staring at her from a down tilted head just above her still covered breasts.

Adora kept her eyes trained on Catra’s as she kisses the skin between the bunched up clothing and fabric of the top of the bra. 

Catra’s breathing shuttered in her chest as the kiss neared closer and closer to the edge of the bra. Blue eyes _still_ boring into hers. She couldn't handle it anymore and tipped her head back in a sigh, wincing a bit when the goose egg that had formed on her head from the earlier incident hit the wood.

Just as Adora’s hand was grabbing to peel back the top of the bra, the door to the locker room opened, letting in the music that played in the background spill into the quiet of the locker rooms. Along with the bustle of someone.

“Okay but that new episode of Survivor was kinda weak, to be honest. I wanted more drama and I swear Danni just didn’t deliver!” A woman’s voice rang out far from around the foreigner at the entrance.

Adora scooped Catra up and lightly ran into the closest shower stall and pulled it shut, clipping the carabiner to the hook in the wall.

“Okay, whatever you say Mark. Anyways I’ll be home in a bit, I just have to take a shower real quick I feel gross. Love you, babe. Talk to you later."

Adora placed Catra down and huffed. Rubbing her thumb and pointer finger into her eyes.

Catra decided to take this time to readjust her shirt back down into its proper place. Her heart was still beating rapidly as she tried to catch her breath.

A shower in a stall on the other end of the locker room started up and they unlocked the curtain, stepping back out into the main area.

Adora started laughing. The kind of bubbly, low and true laugh that you could listen to for hours. Catra couldn’t help but smile and laugh too. Everything about what just happened being so ridiculous. They stood like that for a bit till Adora calmed down and just smiled at Catra. Her eyes were slightly wet from tears of laughter.

“Wow okay, we have a great track record with locker rooms!” Adora huffs breathlessly.

“I did say that before we came in here. I always tend to be right.”

Adora rolled her eyes. “We really need to stop doing whatever... _this_ is.”

“I also said that. Didn’t go so well. That’s where the _tend_ comes into play.”

Catra tousled with her hair, slicking it back before it inevitably falling in strands down her face again. “But yes jokes aside, we do. This fuckbuddy shit isn’t going to work.”

She shakes her head. “I hate that word but it’s accurate. So I’m just going to pretend like we didn’t almost have sex in a public locker room.” 

“Whatever you say, princess. But anyways we should just-”

Adora glanced down at her Fitbit and visibly jumped.

“Oh, I uh… I have to go. Like right now.” Adora started striding over to the exit.

“But Adora-”

“Text me later. Please. I want to have this conversation as much as you do but I have to go.”

She rounds the corner and Catra hears the door open and shut.

Leaving her alone with the woman in the shower humming some shitty rendition of Brittany Spears' Toxic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heh- 
> 
> water my crops and leave a comment? they truly keep me motivated. from constructive criticism to reactions. i love them all.
> 
> follow me on Instagram @jxdenvfx (I post some dope ass edits every week)  
> and on twitter @sherashit
> 
> please dm and we can talk about anything shera!


	10. chapter ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh hey there
> 
> miss me?
> 
> anyways prenote  
> devlan is a call back from the original shera because I couldn't help myself 
> 
> I'm sorry for such the long wait I have a lot going on in my life at the moment

It had been two weeks since that _day_ and Adora was throwing yet another shirt onto her bed. She didn’t know how formal or casual this bar outing would be. 

Tessa had mentioned how this would be a good idea for all of them so they could get more comfortable with each other so their on court chemistry would be more easy coming. Tara agreed. 

Mostly because she wanted a reason to drink on a practice week. Which, with how things have been for Adora recently, she can’t disagree on that behalf.

Looking back at her now sparse closet she was beginning to realize that all she really owned were super casual baggy jackets and tight sports leggings. A few crop tops and sweatpants in the mix too.

It’s what she would wear out to bars back in Brightmoon but is it okay to wear it when you're going out with a bunch of professional basketball players? That were also your coworkers? Would they think she looked stupid? Would _Catra_ think she looked stupid?

When did she start to care what Catra thought? 

_She’s been occupying my thoughts way more then she needs to be._

Her and Catra had been texting every now and then since they talked about their…tension, Adora supposed. Nothing crazy. Just short ‘do you remember what coach said about xyz’ or ‘you were lucky I was off my game today or ‘I would have dribbled circles around you’ something along those lines type messages from Catra.

It was nice. Adora liked where they sat. A whole lot better then when she moved here. Though something she didn't quite want to acknowledge was chewing at her gut every time they spoke since they talked it out.

____________________2 weeks ago____________________

_Adora had just got off the phone. She rubbed the corners of her eyes and took a deep breath. That conversation had not gone the way she thought it would. She really shouldn’t have hung up on her like that._

_Her phone buzzed._

_**CatSerra27: you said to text you later and it’s later so.** _

_right._

_**adoragrey_: yes i uh, did. sorry i had to leave like that, i had something important come up.** _

_**CatSerra27: i know, you said that before you left.** _

_youch, she is texting stiff. not giving me much room to work with._

_**adoragrey_: so…** _

_**CatSerra27: “so…” what? You asked me to text you. I’m assuming you had an idea of what you wanted to say. Right?** _

_**adoragrey_: i- no. what? you were the one that was in the middle of talking and i interrupted you. Sooooooooo it should be you saying something right now.** _

_**CatSerra27: no u.** _

_**adoragrey_: you did not just-** _

_**CatSerra27: oh, but i did.** _

_**adoragrey_: can you just be mature for like 5 secs?** _

_**CatSerra27: uh let me check** _

_**CatSerra27: nope. Can’t. Schedules full.** _

_Adora rolled her eyes, stifling an unwanted chuckle. This isn't funny._

_**adoragrey_: catra.** _

_**CatSerra27: congrats. you can spell my name.** _

_**adoragrey_: you are insufferable.** _

_**CatSerra27: hm, i dont think thats what you were thinking when you had your tongue down my throat earlier.** _

_…_

_…_

_**CatSerra27: okay, um. sorry. i just like, am bad with having serious conversations when the times call for them. obv.** _

_**CatSerra27: (785) 637-8185** _

_**adoragrey_: what’s that?** _

_**CatSerra27: stanley steamers corporate line. you seem like someone who needs their carpets steamed.** _

_**CatSerra27: my fucking phone number you bone head. ffs are you sure you graduated college?** _

_**adoragrey_: top 5% of my major. i’m sure.** _

_You leave an opportunity to flex open, I will flex. I don’t care._

_**adoragrey_: what do you want me to do with it?** _

_**CatSerra27: c a l l m e dumbass. what else do you do with phone numbers?** _

_**CatSerra27: i’ll handle this better if i dont have the option to hide behind these letters. now call me before i regret this and decline the call.** _

__

_**Adoragrey_: okay.** _

_Adora copy and pasted the number into the dialer and clicked call._

_Brrrr._

_Brrrr._

_Brrrr._

_She was literally on her phone like 2 seconds ago. Why is it ringing for so long?_

_Adora heard the line pick up._

_“Hello?” Adora spoke into the phone when she heard nothing on Catra’s end._

_“Hi.”_

_“So?”_

_Catra sighed. “Adora, not this again.”_

_Adora had a rebuttal on the tip of her tongue but before she could retort the noise gate shut off again._

_“I just need to know that we both agree that we were both being impossibly stupid and how much of a mistake this has all been.”_

_Her heart panged at the word mistake. It shouldn’t have hurt like that though. That’s what it was. A mistake. This whole ordeal. A mistake. A mistake. A mist-_

_“Adora?”_

_“Yes. I’m sorry for provoking this. It’s all my fault.”_

_“Damn straight,” A short pause. “But I don’t want things to get awkward. We don’t need that in camp. Ya know?”_

_“Oh, yeah. Of course.”_

_Another pause. It dragged on. Catra gave another belated sigh._

_“This won’t make things weird right? I don’t want to make this fuck-y with the team.”_

_Adora blew air out of her nose in a muted laugh. “You mean more weird than it already is?”_

_“True true. I think we need to set up a schedule for locker room times.”_

_“Ha! Can’t trust your libido with me in a closed space?”_

_“In your dreams princess. It’s you we need to watch out for. Miss ‘personal space is null’.”_

_Even though the topic of the conversation they were having was far from normal, this is truly the most normal banter her and Catra have had that wasn't basketball related._

_It felt…_

_Right._

_In the most strange way ever. Catra was as much as a stranger as the rest of the team was for her. Sure, they knew each other since freshman year of college but it was just that. A name, a face and a number on a jersey. A really well known face as the years progressed. She knew as much about Catra as interviewers did._

_“Yeah, I’m just a physically affectionate person with my friends, I don’t mean to, like, make you uncomfy.”_

_“You think we are friends?” Adora could almost hear the smirk Catra was probably adopting._

_Adora floundered. “I’m- No I just- Well maybe I-”_

_“Adora. Chill out. I like that.” Another pause. God Catra loved pauses. “Friends.”_

_Oh._

_“Oh wow okay cool. Cool.”_

_Catra laughed something low and breathless. It made Adora’s heart pang._

_“Don’t make me regret it.”_  
__________________________________________________

_What was the name of that bar anyways? Um Devan… No! Devlan._

Adora decided that googling the bar would give her some hint to what kind of clothing would be appropriate.

Her mouth was immediately on the floor when the images appeared above it’s location on the map.

It was this clean urban art installation looking bar. Obviously very new and upper class for sure. She can also see the dollar signs next to the name of the bar. 

Three too many for Adora’s tastes…and bank account. 

It was located on top of a hotel casino that shared the same surname.

_Dangit._

She didn’t want to wear any of the few nice shirts and jeans she had. All of her muscles were aching so bad that anytime she bent down to get water out of the fridge, she would swear to Bow and Glimmer that her soul left it’s body and floated in the subspace of her apartment's kitchen cubicle.

Even the idea of chafing jeans and blouses that would pull up her waist from her large set shoulders was not appealing either.

She pushed the hangers at the forefront of her closet hastily to the side trying to dig past her favorites and casual wear for a proper outfit.

After a few passes on dresses, she found her white blazer and high waisted white ankle pants. She had worn it to some basketball fundraising gala her junior year of college. Glimmer made her go since her mom was a speaker and also said it was in her best interest to go since she was the staple star player of the team anyways.

_This could work._

_______________________

“Scorpia please listen. I just need you to drop me off and pick me up. I don't want to park my rust bucket in their swanky parking lot. That and I don’t want to worry about driving home tonight. More booze for me that way.” She shot an annoyed smile to her friend in the driver's seat.

They were in catra’s apartment complex’s parking lot. Catra was fixing the buttons on her plunge neck satin blouse. She always felt so confident in it because of how it made her defined collar bones pop.

That and the plunge in the neckline was just below where her breasts sat. It gave just the right amount of coverage to not be slutty. Catra snapped out thoughts of wondering what Adora would like like when she saw.

“You sure you don’t want me to hang around in the lot or something? We both know how you got when you drink too much. Like oh! That one time when we bought all that soju for Emily’s birthday because she wanted to try a bunch of different alcohols and you drank like 5 bottles yourself! Oh wow and then we had to take your phone because-”

“Kindly, shut the fuck up before I decide I want to walk to Devlan. I am not relieving that story again through you.” Catra snapped her eyes up from her chest and onto Scorpia’s eyes.“And I will be okay. I’m not going to drink too too much. I just want to get comfortably tipsy. NO hard liquor.”

Scorpia untensed and pulled the car into reverse. “Promise?”

Catra laughed. “Yes I promise.”

____________

Catra was a liar. 

The second she saw Adora sitting on that barstool talking to Starla with the backlights of the liquor shelves above the bar setting her in a glow, she knew she was going to need something heavy.

A suit. Adora was wearing a suit. Why was Catra so enamored by her wearing a suit?

Adora stood up and warped around the side of her stool. Eventually catching eyes with Catra’s from the entrance, smiling wide.

The sight all together made Catra’s heart. Stop. 

Now fully seeing Adora, standing up and front facing, the outfit now struck a deeper chord.

There was no shirt underneath the blazer but rather a black halter top without the neck strap. Her abs were on full display. She was wearing a black huaraches rather than a pair of heels, which felt exactly par for course for Adora. At least for what Catra knows about her.

Adora’s hair was pulled into a messy top bun. God that looked good on people who have undercuts. Or maybe it was just a good look on Adora.

_Goal: How to work in a way to say “wear your hair like that to practices.” casually._

Catra shook off her stupor and smiled back, walking over to Adora at the bar. 

As she got closer, Adora’s gaze dropped and ran back up slowly. Her eyes finally landed back on Catra’s eyes when they were in reaching distance.

“You checking me out Greyskull? Be careful your gay is showing.” Catra smirked.

Adora crossed her arms and shifted her weight. “Ha yeah, like you weren’t drooling from the entrance when I stood up. Don't act so smug.”

Catra flushed. “I- No-”

Adora interrupted, continuing her tangent. “No but you’re right. I don’t think I can feel anymore gay then I do right now, in a room with some of the most talented, strong and beautiful women I have ever set my eyes on. This bar outing feels sacrilegious.” 

This earned a full laugh from Catra. Probably way too loud in this secluded bar but she couldn't help it. This girl was such a dork lesbian. But also a jock lesbian? A dork lesbian jock. Definitely not a juxtaposition. Nope. 

_Adora the walking contradiction. Ha._

The blonde started laughing along with Catra too. Leaning against the bar counter top with her elbows.

“Oh hey, Serrano!” Tess yelled out from around the corner. She was sitting next to Ella who was downing a shot. Definitely not her first if the line of empty shot glasses told any stories. “In your unbiased opinion, who looks more drunk?” Tess was borderline slurring her words.

_Maybe some of those shot glasses were Tess’s too._

“Um, you both look pretty hammered to me.” Catra laughed. “How did this even happen? It’s only like 9. Did I get the time wrong or something?”

“Ah no,” Starla sighed. “They were the first here but when I got here, they were mid argument. Something about that Elle couldn't hold her alcohol. Then it was Tess who couldn’t hold it.” She rolled her eyes. “So, now they are competing on who can drink more before blacking out.” 

Tara stepped over and swung an arm around Catra’s shoulders. “Just a heads up, they will both black out. Neither of them can hold their liquor too well.” She chuckled.

“Noted.” Catra smiled and walked out from under her. She walked over to the bar where Adora was standing with two drinks in front of her.

Adora noticed when Catra sat down next to her and slid the tall glass over.

She sat down on the stool she was hovering over. “French 75. You seem like a gin kind of gal. Take this as a formal apology for my brash behavior.”

“What a lucky woman. I do have a proclivity for gin drinks. Thank you.” Catra takes a small sip. Letting the small burn settle in her stomach before taking a larger sip. She nods at Adora’s drink, already half gone. “What’s that? Old fashioned?”

“Not quite. Manhattan. Rye whiskey rather than bourbon. I don’t like it sweet. That and the vermouth.”

“Thanks for the uncalled for liquor lesson. Why do you know so much anyways?”

“Uh, all my friends would be drinking beers at home and going out for drinks. They all tasted like crap to me. So I went on the hunt for the most tolerable drinks and now I know more than I needed to, I guess. Kind of overdid it.” Adora played with the rim of her glass as she looked over at Catra.

“You seem to be good at that.”

Adora cocked her head. “At what?”

“Over doing shit, idiot.” Catra hissed with more amusement then bite. “Kind of our whole dynamic for the past 4 years wouldn't you say?”

“Fair enough. But like I said, the drink is a peace offering.” Adora rubbed her temples. “An expensive one at that. Like Jesus, sixteen bucks for gin! You better drink every last drop and then lick it dry, I swear to god Catra.”

Catra laughed. “I never asked you to get me one but aye aye cap’n.” She gave a mock two finger salute.

“I know but eh, at least you like it. I was worried I guessed wrong then I would be out sixteen and an ego boost.”

“Ah yes, your ego. Larger than your forehead.” Catra snickered.

Adora throws her arms up. “Oh come on! Not you too. I can’t post anything on twitter with my face on it. I swear to god.”

Catra took the scene in. 

Adora rambling about some meme she saw where someone was playing tic tac toe on her forehead in the replies of a tweet. How her eyes lit up when she started talking about her friends back in New York. 

The whole conversation was easy. From topic to topic it all felt so easy. Normal. Like they were friends in a past lifetime. People who weren’t enemies just a month ago. Sure, their route to this so-called ‘normalcy’ was anything but conventional. But this right here was where Catra felt like they should be. Friends.

“Next round on me?”

“I hope so. My pockets will hurt too much.”

That continues on well into the night. Catra and Adora talking and buying each other drinks interchangeably. Catra even completely forgetting they were here with the others. Just basking in this new side of Adora. The person behind the jersey. The new normal Adora.

Well normal enough until it was obvious Adora was a way more than tipsy. Which made sense when she was ordering higher proofs then Catra, who at this point was definitely buzzed but she could form coherent thoughts.

“So why did you start playing basketball anyways, Serrano?” Adora jabbed a finger into her chest.

Of course she was a touchy drunk. Of course.

“Kept me busy. I got antsy when I wasn't doing anything when I was younger.” A half truth.

“Ah okay okay. I did it because my mom played before she got sat out because of a torn ACL right after the drafts. She liked watching me and it was fun playing for her.” Adora smiled at the fond memory.

“Then I bet she is proud of you then for making it into the NBA.” 

Adora laughs and stands up. “Ah I hope she would be. She died when I was a sophomore in highschool. That’s the only reason I still play. To repay for what I’ve done.”

What?

“What? Repay what?”

“Oh god it’s hot in here. Come with me to the patio!” Adora starts off before Catra even reponds.

Catra scrambles after her long strides. She catches up to Adora where she is leaning against the railing looking over the skyline. Her drink swirling around in her hand that was overhanging.

“My mom would have liked it here. The sky is so pretty. Much more clear than New York. I need to go stargazing when I get the time. For her.”

“Mhm.” Catra was so confused.

“I miss when basketball was fun! I hate it now. I’m so fucking tired.” Adora barked out a sharp laugh, downed the last of her drink and sat her glass down next to her and spun around to lean against the railing with her back.

Again. “What?” 

“I have to practice everyday. Even after practices. I have to be better. Stay better. That’s what Hope says at least. To repay. I agree.”

“Repay what?”

Adora turns her head to Catra.

“Your eyes are so pretty. I bet a lot of people say that. The different colors are so cool.” She leans in and squints. Looking Catra hard in the eyes. “What’s that called again?”

“Adora, repay what?”

“Hem-...Het-...Heterosexual...NO!...Ew...Um, Heterochromia! I remember googling it when we first met on the court. I had never seen someone with eyes like that before!”

“Adora.”

“Your new hair looks so good too.” She reaches out and runs her hand through the front. dislodging her hair from it’s slicked back state. Strands of hair fall across her forehead.

“I don’t think I said that when you cut it senior year I was surprised.” Adora’s hand rands down and sits on her cheek. “But oh my god it looks so _hot_ on you.” 

Catra’s cheeks were blazing. More flushed then Adora’s drunk ass was.

She stepped out of Adora’s embrace. Begrudgingly hating how she missed the warmth of Adora’s palm on her face.

“Okay bud, You are so drunk right now. Let’s get you home okay?”

“My bike is in the parking lot so-”

“Ah nope, absolutely not. I’ll take you home. Just stay put while I make a call okay?”

“Okay!” Adora said with a dopey smile.

Catra rolled her eyes and walked away, whipping out her phone.

_Holy shit. what the FUCK was that?_

The caller picked up within one ring.

“Hey Scorpia, can you make your way here now? Also we will have to take a detour before you drop me off if that’s alright.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh? angst???????????
> 
> a non sex or basketball driven plot line????
> 
> what is this fic becoming?
> 
> anygays
> 
> i am a slut for your comments 
> 
> also feel free to reach out to me on twitter @sherashit  
> and Instagram @jxdenvfx


	11. chapter eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> time really got away from me! it's been over 20 days since I've updated. wow.
> 
> anyways. i PROMISE those who read this for the basketball girlfriends, we will get back to the sports! i just need to set up this plot and build character relationships so heh.
> 
> **PRENOTE:** do not be like catra. do not take aspirin while you are drunk. it very well may make you sicker. stay safe :)  
> i hope you enjoy this chapter :)

“Do we even know where she lives?” Scorpia sighed.

Good question. 

Adora has been a mumbling mess since Scorpia finally arrived back at the hotel. She couldn't walk straight on her own and Catra had to keep holding her up. There was a funny joke catra failed to see in that somewhere.

Getting her into the car had been a hassle in and of itself. She would go in and out of bouts saying _‘Oh who’s car is this? I shouldn't be getting in a strangers car.’_ and _‘Wow taking me home on the first date? Heh how bold...I like it.’_ It was more than a little flustering and annoying.

Starla seemed slightly concerned when she saw Adora halved slumped against Catra but was quick to drop the concern when another one of the teammates yelled. _‘ANOTHER ROUND’_. Catra counted her blessings.

Catra swung around in her seat to look at Adora who was drawing stick figures on the window where her breath had fogged it up. She was mumbling to herself but Catra couldn't make out the words between the giggles.

“Hey, drunk-ass, What’s your address?”

Adora slopped her head over and slowly raised her hand to point at Catra. 

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” She squinted her eyes into slits.

“Yeah, I would. That’s why I asked.” Catra sighed, already wishing she had left Adora with the rest of the Waste to handle.

“Oh! Yeah I live at the uh…” She drags her hand down her face in thought. 

Then she’s silent. No further words or motions.

“Earth to Greyskull.” She shouted. Scorpia jumped a bit with a belated gasp.

“Um that place with the C… Uhm… Camellia Condoms. Haha.” While Adora was giggling like a child Catra turned back around in her seat.

Catra pulled out her phone and opened the map application and typed Camellia condominiums into the locator and set the course.

“I’m assuming you don't know where that is right Scorp?”

“Um, actually I do. Remember that girl I was telling you about?” She flashed a glance at Catra quickly before finally rolling the car out of the parking lot and onto the main street.

“Who, plant lady?”

“Phoebe is a Botanist, Catra. _Botanist_.” Scorpia stated very matter of factly. “But, yeah she lives there. Found out when I had to drop her off after one of our dates.” She ended it with a small smile.

Catra elbowed her lightly. “Ooooo, A date? Who’ da thunk you would start going steady before me.” 

“I don’t know wildcat, you seem pretty content with your one night stands. I don’t know if anyone is going to ever be able to tie you down.” Scorpia laughed but before Catra could respond with something she thought would be incredibly witty they heard some loud squeaking from the backseat.

As Scorpia peeked in the rearview mirror and Catra turned around they discovered a still insanely drunk Adora wiping aggressively at the window with her suit sleeve. She noticed Catra staring and cocked her head to the side in a pout.

“What? I messed up my drawing. I have to restart.” Adora turned her head back to the window and started huffing on it. Effectively fogging it back up.

_Why was that so cute?  
Why was that so cute?  
Why was that so cute?_

Catra laughed softly and rolled her eyes, settling back down into her seat.

“Or I guess not.” Scorpia elbowed her back.

It was Catra’s turn to cock her head. “You guess not what?” 

“Oh nothing… Just, you seem pretty fond with a certain blonde.”

Catra flushed and dropped her voice to a whisper. “Shut up! I don’t know what you’re talking about. She’s a friend.”

Scorpia started whispering as well to match Catra. “Oh, so you’re friends now?” She waggled her eyebrows when the car rolled to a stop in front of a light at an intersection.

Catra turned an even darker shade of maroon. “Yes! Friends. Nothing else!” It was barely even a whisper at this point. More of a hushed shout.

“Who are we friends with?!” Adora stumbled out. Throwing herself between them in the center console. “I love making friends!”

The pair jump back towards their respective windows, staring at Adora’s dopey grin.

“Is it you?” Adora pointed at Scorpia with a sloppy hand. 

“Cause wowwww,” She slurred and put a hand on Scorpia’s bicep. “You are strong. What does a girl gotta do to get those?”

Catra audibly slapped a hand over her face. “Why are you unbuckled Adora?” Scorpia started driving again.

“Too tight.” She curtly responds and slides back into her seat. 

“Buckle back in before I come and do it myself.” 

Adora giggled. “Oh, _Catrina_ I didn't know you were into that.” The way her voice went baritone made the flush reappear with vigor.

“OKAY NO MORE TALKING IN THIS CAR.” She yelled into the small interior of the car.

Adora shrunk and buckled back in. Scorpia straightened her back and gripped the wheel a bit tighter.

“Thank you.” She sighed and cracked her neck, throwing her feet up on the dash.

Scorpia took in a breath. Probably to scold her.

“Can it Scorp. Not right now.”

___________________

They pulled into the parking lot of Adora’s apartment complex not too long after Catra’s demand. The car was, thank the gods, silent for the rest of the ride. Save the occasional mumbles of a blonde, who seemingly couldn't remember her phone password. It was funny, truly, to Catra.

Scorpia parked in the closest spot they could find and looked over at Catra, who was unbuckling, mouthing, _‘Can I talk now?_ ’

“Yes, you idiot. Oh my god.”

“Oh thank god! You know how hard it is for me to not talk! Like wow. Really hard. I can’t bel-”

Catra grabbed scorpia by her shoulders. “If you don’t calm down, I will reinstate it for the ride home.” 

Before Scorpia can respond they both hear a click, feel a rush of air, then a muffled _‘oomf’_ , all from the backseat. 

Adora fell face-first out of the car.

Adora. Had just. Fallen out of the car. 

_Don’t laugh. Do. NOT. Laugh._

Catra took a deep breath and swiftly got out of the car and walked around the front of the car to stand above an unmoving Adora.

She squatted down and fought back the urge to vomit at the quick movement.

Right, She’s a little drunk too. Another breath eased the lurching.

“How are you doing there champ?

“It’s so,” a long sigh. “Hot in Nevada. Why is the ground so hot? Can we fix that?” Adora mumbled into the asphalt.

“Yeah, sure. We can bring that up with god next week during our monthly facetime.” She placed a hand onto Adora’s back and patted firmly. “Let’s get you inside. Colder there.”

She stood back up straight, slower this time, as she watched Adora fumble on her hands and knees like a baby deer. 

The blonde was finally standing. Albeit on wobbling legs. Catra looped an arm around her waist and walked a bit forward till they stood next to the driver’s side window. It was already rolled down from Scorpia watching from the side mirror.

“Hey, I’m going to take her in and make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid for the rest of the night. Give me ten?”

“Yeah, no problems here!”

“Thanks, Scorp. I owe you big time.” She offered a smile before starting off towards the complex entrance.

Adora would stutter every few steps, almost taking Catra down a couple of times. Damn was that girl just pure heavy muscle. Now that Catra was lugging it around almost boneless. She failed to see how she thought it was attractive. Maybe from a distance.

“Number?”

“Are-are you asking for my phone number? Wow. I mean you are pretty cute but, I have my eyes on someone.”

Catra’s stomach twists uncomfortably. Dumb liquor.

“Flattered but no. Apartment number. And floor now that I mention it.”

Adora hiccups. “Oh! Ha! Yes!” She shouted. Catra winced. “J15, top floor.”

They were in the main lobby now and Catra propped Adora up against a wall while she pressed the button to the elevator. It arrived on their floor no to long after and She guided Adora into the small box. Catra eyed the button panel.

_Top floor uh,_

The bottom started at 1 and went up to 10.

_That’s pretty high up._

She had seen the building while pulling it. It truly was massive but it didn’t really settle into Catra till now.

Heights. Catra was not fond of them.

She pressed the ten button and shifted so her hands were gripping the inner railing and her ass was pressed into her knuckles. The doors slid closed and the elevator jostled into motion, her gut aforementioned the rise.

Adora was standing in the middle of the elevator, in a wide stance trying not to fall from her inebriation and the unbalancing feeling that came with elevators. Her face was a mix of awe and giddy intoxication as she shifted back and forth in place. It looked like she was riding an invisible surfboard.

It was pretty amusing to Catra. Almost took her mind off of being in a moving tomb, but that soon came to a halt when Adora winced in what seemed like pain and leaned into a guide rail.

Catra reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You good Adora?”

“I'm gonna be sick.”

_FUCK NO. Not in this tiny death box you aren’t._

“Hey, hey. Breathe we are almost up to your room okay?” She glanced at the counter above the doors.

Nine.

Perfect.

Within the next couple seconds, the elevator lurched to a stop along with Catra’s stomach. The doors opened.

“Okay come here. Don’t puke on me or I will leave you in the hallway alone you hear me?”

A soft ‘mmm’ came from the other’s furled lips before Adora stumbled into Catra’s side for the nth time that night. They walked slowly out and into the long stretch of a hallway. 

With a quick scan of the rooms around Catra figured out what direction they were supposed to head in and made slow work of walking to the door.

_J 13._

_J 14._

_Ah J 15._

“I need your keys.”

Adora pushed off of Catra slightly and dug her hand into her pants pocket. She ruffled around a little bit then pulled out a key ring with 3 keys on it. One clearly being her motorcycle key, while the other two were fairly plain and ambiguous. Much like other deadbolt locked door keys.

Catra took a guess with the silver one and slid it into the tumbler. Lucky her. She got it right on the first try and when the door handle was turned it opened into a dark living area. Catra could only make out basic shapes of a countertop island and the slight light coming from the moon into the space from a glass balcony door. 

Adora trudged past catra and into the room.

“Oh god.” She mumbled before moving as swiftly as an ass drunk person could to open a door across the room and close it shut behind her. Catra saw a light flick on from underneath the door. Then the heaving started.

_I’m just glad she made it in here before that started. It was an inevitable fate since I sat her ass in that car._

She stood in the entrance a bit longer then shut the front door behind her and locked it. Catra flipped on the lights, hissing slightly when the light flooded into her dilated pupils, and continued to inspect the woman’s home.

The realization soon hit that the apartment was fairly empty. Which struck Catra as a bit odd as she had been living here for what? Two months at least now? And there was not a single piece of furniture in the living room. Not a chair. A tv. Nothing. 

_I mean, New York was a far move so maybe she just didn't take anything?_

The kitchen counter that came off the wall had three stools underneath the lip and right past that was what catra saw was her bedroom area. 

A neatly folded gray and white comforter on a floating bed frame. Probably came with the lease, Catra thought. 

A nightstand sat next to the bed, it was wholly connected to the wall and it was home to a lamp and a single picture frame. Catra couldn’t make out the photo from this far. 

_There we go, something that was hers._

Catra didn’t know why she felt the need to pry into Adora’s belongings. (More lack thereof in this case.) The blonde had been such an enigma since she met her. Evolving since they got drafted, especially after what Adora had said on that patio. 

_-That’s what Hope says at least. To repay. I agree.-_

Catra felt she perhaps, deserved, answers? You can’t just say something like that and just not explain. Adora wasn’t going to give any answers in this state she soon realized at the bar. Maybe she could find them in her belongings. Seems like a fair enough reason to justify going through her teammates shit Catra rationalized. She stalked over to the side of the bed and picked the frame up. 

The picture wasn’t a particularly good shot. It was Adora holding the camera up above her in the middle of two people. One she recognized though. Glimmer Suzuki, Number 15. The point guard for the Brightmoon Rebellion. Also well known for her mother's position as head coach for the same college team Glimmer played on.

Never seeming to be zoned near Glimmer or be paired up for man on man type defenses, Catra had little to no interaction with the point guard. There was only one time Catra really remembers being around her. That was when Adora had elbowed her so hard in the face that it broke Catra’s nose and Glimmer had grabbed her from behind as she prepared to shove the blonde.

_Not fond memories. Look where we are now though…_

The other person in the picture was of a darker skinned boy. Smiling wide and unabashed. She had never seen him before but based off the picture being on her nightstand, Catra deduced they must have all been pretty close. 

Another loud heave came from the bathroom. 

Catra groaned and sat the frame back down, grabbing a stray hairband left on the dresser top and snapping it against her wrist. Adora probably needed one to help fix her hair.

_Might as well help her. Has it been long enough since she last drank to take aspirin?_

_..._

_Sure._

“Hey Adora, Where do you keep your aspirin?” Catra shouted at the door.

A hum of acknowledgement. Pause. Heave. A sigh.

“The drawer closest to the front door in the,” Short pause. “Kitchen.” Then a flush.

Without warranting a response, Catra walked back around the bar counter and found the drawer. She found the white bottled nestled between a spare set of keys and random pieces of paper.  
She traversed the cabinets to find a glass and filled it with sink water. Then walked back over to the bathroom door and knocked lightly.

“Can I come in?”

“Erm. Uh. Y-yeah.” A muffled Adora stammered.

Catra opened the door to the scene of an athlete, back slumped against a bathtub with an arm strewn across the toilet seat lid. Her hair was falling ungracefully out of the bun and the suit jacket was abandoned on the floor in front of her.

_Oh she already had her hair up. Right. Guess I didn't need the hair band._

“You look great princess. Who knew you were such a lightweight.” Catra smirked.

“Shut the fuck up. I can't think!” Adora hissed eyes strewn tightly shut into thin lines.

Oh. 

Was that?

Was that a curse word? From Adora? Catra was in another realm of existence right now.

“Yeesh. Okay sorry.” Catra slid down the wall behind her, settling a couple feet from Adora. She sat the glass on the floor while she shook a few pills into her palm then replaced the glass with the aspirin bottle. “Here. Happy pills.”

Adora grabbed the water with one hand and left her other hand palm up so Catra could drop the aspirin into it. Once Catra did she put them all in her mouth and took a heavy swig from the glass.

“Ew tap water.”

Catra rolled her eyes. “Don’t complain. I could have just got you nothing.”

“I know.” Adora sat the glass down on the floor between them. “Thanks.”

Catra hummed a response and let her head lightly knock back into the wall behind her. The small bathroom was now silent other than the whirr of an air conditioner blowing air through the vents.

Well, it was silent. Until Adora was grappling the tub edge in an attempt to stand up.

Catra scrambled to her feet, just in time to catch Adora before she slid back and hit her head on the edge of the tub. “Woah there champ! What’s the rush?”

“Bedddd timeeeee!” She sang. horribly Catra might add. Adora slumped her head into Catras shoulder.

“Okay okay! Slow down. Let me help you.” 

Catra scooped her arms underneath Adora’s armpits and tried to hoist her up. “Jesus fuck you are a rock!” 

Adora got the hint through her booze addled brain and helped stand her up. Catra swung the door open with her foot and repositioned her hands around Adora’s waist.

With Catra’s guide, they both partially stumble to Adora’s bed. The blonde immediately slides off of Catra’s waist but one of her fingers gets caught on a belt loop in Catra’s slacks and it causes her to go tumbling along with Adora.

They end up messily strewn across a corner of the bed. Catra on top of Adora’s waist with her face dug into the soft comforter.

_It smells like Adora. How her skin smelled in the sunrise locker room._

Catra snapped her head up, not caring to delve into that particular memory right now.

Or ever again to be fair.

“Oh ha! I’m sorry!” Adora giggled, rustling beneath Catra.

“It’s alright.” Catra pushed up off of Adora and was standing above her.

The giggling had not ceased. “Ha. You were on top. That’s funny considering how I went down on you at that gym thingy. Heh.” 

Another thing Catra has learned about Adora in the past 6 hours is, Adora has no filter when she is drunk. Also honest. Very honest.

“Okay. You said bedtime? Well you are in bed now. Go to sleep.” Catra crossed her arms as she watched Adora rotate so her head was on a pillow and shifted under the blankets. “I’m going to steal some of your aspirin as payment then I will be on my way out okay?”

Catra heard a hum and then headed off to retrieve the bottle of aspirin from the bathroom floor.

After getting a glass of water filled taking some pills to alleviate the dull throb Catra knew would become a full category 5 earthquake localized in her skull in the morning, she returned to a thrashing Adora.

Catra set the glass down and jogged over to Adora. She was asleep but was kicking around and hissing through her clenched jaw.

_What do I do?!?!?!_

“Hey, it’s okay! You’re home. Um. Fuck… Comforting things Catra. What are comforting things..” 

Catra reached out and put a hand on Adora’s shoulder and after she jumped from the initial contact, Catra started smoothing her hand over her heated skin. Even in the low light Catra could see her back and shoulders riddled with scars. Most knicks that varied in smaller sizes and a few that would attribute to larger gashes.

Catra had seen the few that were her arms and legs before during games but this was a lot.

Adora had slowed her thrashing into small leg twitches so Catra slowly stood up and took her phone out of her pocket.

She had a message from Scorpia.

**Scorpia: hey wldct u good? Been 30.**

**Catra: yeah.**

Catra looked back over at the sound of Adora starting to kick around harder. For some reason the thought of leaving her like this made her ache.

**Catra: actually, head on home.**

**Scorpia: oh did i interrupt something? srry**

**Catra: NO. shes just a bad drunk. I dont want her killing herself by accident.**

**Catra: she lives on the top floor with a balcony you know.**

**Scorpia: wow how knightly of you. ok. Ill come get u and adora tomorrow morning k?**

**Catra: thanks scorp.**

She pockets her phone and sits down on the floor next to the bed. Back to the nightstand and one hand rubbing circles on Adora’s bicep.

She fell dozed off watching the stars from outside the balcony with one thought rattling around in her drowsy mind.

_Who even is Adora Greyskull?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> huh.
> 
> feel free to message me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/sherashit) and [instagram](https://www.instagram.com/jxdenvfx/) ! (wow imbeded links. i am getting fancy)  
> ((also i post some pretty gay shera edits on insta so if that up your ally..))
> 
> comment so I can feel validated thanks :)  
> ajksdhfjks
> 
> ALSO UPDATE, THERE IS SOME HOTASS FAN ART DONE FROM CHAPTER 10 SO CLICK [here!](https://www.instagram.com/p/CEM2gnmllKL/?igshid=15wbkmw9yv9sq)


	12. chapter twelve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow, i actually updated in under two weeks. insane.
> 
> remember when I updated every other day? neither do i.
> 
> ALSO! someone in the comments of the last chapter asked for a stats sheet but I plan on giving a full descriptor for when they start their in-season games so I will just give their heights for now (because height difference makes me go mmmm)
> 
> adora catra  
> 5'11 5'5"
> 
> anyways, enjoy the shorter chapter :)

The alarm. 

The fucking alarm that was blaring seemingly right next to Catra’s ear was making her go want to rip her ears out. 

Catra felt around looking for her phone when her body reached a soft...Wall?

_I don’t have a wall next to my bed._

She shoots her eyes open and fumbles her balance onto her right hand, her head hitting a nightstand. Catra looks up and realizes, no, that wasn't a wall, and no, this wasn't her room. This was the floor of Adora’s apartment and she was slumped against the edge of the nightstand and bed. When readjusting her head so her eyes wouldn't fall prey to the sun rays falling in over the horizon, Catra realized her left side was draped in a sheet that Catra, even though last night is definitely a burning haze, doesn’t remember falling asleep with.

A quick glance up at the top of the bed with a craned neck reveals an empty bed with a wadded up comforter in the middle. The disorder of it clashed with the clinical look of the rest of the apartment.

A click rings out from across the space and the door to the bathroom slides open. Adora walks out fully dressed in form fitting sweatpants and a white T-shirt that left nothing left up to imagination in terms of her muscles. She was looking WAY too put together for someone who was so hammered the night before. To the point she couldn't walk home.

Adora is mid motion of tightening her hair up into her signature ponytail when she hears Catra rustling the sheet off of her to only leave it to bunch on the ground.

Adora gives a small smile. “Morning sleepyhead.” 

_The only thing Catra can think of is warm and I should smile back right?_

“How?” Is what she really offers up.

“How?” Adora bounces back. The slight cock of her head brings memories of the night before back into the forefront of Catra’s mind.

“How do you look like...” Catra pauses, trying to find the right words. “Like that, at god knows what time in the morning it is today after the shit you drank last night. I drank way less and I'm not a lightweight but you look like the one didn't drink.” She finishes while standing up and stretching her arms back above her head. Catra feels her blouse untuck from her pants.

“Oh trust me, I am feeling regret right now.” Adora laughed dryly. “I went to the bathroom in the dark because oh my gods even the light barely peeking the windows when I woke up made me wanna vomit. My head right now feels like non-stop waves just crashing into the front of my skull.” She finished pulling her hair tight and dropped her hands to her hips.

Catra rolled her eyes and picked the sheet up from off the floor and dropped it on top of Adora’s pillows. She didn’t feel like responding to Adora. The whole thing was unnerving and honestly? A little frustrating. Of course Adora can make massive hangovers look like a casual, effortless annoyance while Catra has a small after effect of a few drinks and she wanted to throw her head in and through the drywall next to her.

Probably realizing Catra was done with that particular conversation, Adora started back up towards the kitchen area. She runs her hand across and clean off the island countertop before she swings the fridge door open and sticks her head into the fridge.

The sun was now rising well over the city skyline, illuminating the apartment in a soft yellow glow. The scene makes Catra wish she lived more inner city despite knowing she would regret it because of the constant noise from the streets below. 

Catra glanced over into the kitchen catching sight of the digital clock on her stove 

_7:03. Way too early for any of this._

“So…” Sounded from across the room. Adora was still sorting through her fridge. 

Catra rolled her eyes yet again with a terse laugh, ambling to one of the stools parked under the counter. “God, you do this in person too? Spare me please. Get on with it.” 

“Jeez okay. I just- What I’m not- Shoot-” Adora couldn’t seem to figure out her wording. 

“Adora. Slow down. Speak in sentences.”

Adora spins around on a pivot, still kneeled in front of her fridge but facing Catra. “Why are you even here? Did I tell you to stay?” There she goes.

_God I knew she would ask but now i feel like a creep. Staying in someone's home without permission…_

“Not exactly, no.” Vague. Perfect.

“Not exactly?” Adora repeats. God she loves repeating Catra.

“You were uh,” Catra stammers looking at her hands on the countertop, not knowing what toes the line for creepy and concern. “Kind of thrashing in your sleep and also you were kind of like, ass out drunk. I didn’t really uh, want you to do anything stupid. I would have felt like it was my fault.” 

Catra looks up and finds herself meeting Adora’s gaze. Catra can see Adora clench her jaw. Oh.

“I’m-I shouldn’t have just invited myself to stay. That was pretty fucked up right? Right. Shit. I’ll just uh-”

Adora tosses her hands out in front of her. She almost landed on her face when she lost balance from the shift in weight but saved herself with an ungraceful plant of her hand in front of her.

“No no! It’s um, alright.” Now they are both stammering. What a great look Catra thought.

Adora continued.

“That’s really nice of you! I’m just sorry you had to see me like that. I’m not, mmm, usually like that. Drunk or otherwise.” Adora stands and leans against the fridge door, still facing Catra. 

Adora was smiling but it seemed a tad bit forced. Even though Catra has only had a handful of ‘non-violent’ interactions with the blonde, she could still see the tension in her body. From the white knuckle grip he had on the lip of the fridge door to the tight smile. Catra accounts these observations to her learning to read body language because of Sharon and making sure she only rode the line rather than fully enraging her foster mom. Though Catra didn’t have a perfect track record with it.

“Oh.” Was all Catra could offer up. 

“Yeah.” Adora releases her grip on the fridge and drops her hands into her pants pockets. “I’m actually kind of glad you stayed.”

Oh the way that made Catra’s chest tighten with something she sure as fuck didn’t want to name. 

“I had a really nice time talking with you last night. You know, before um I-”

“Got shitfaced?” Catra snided.

Adora laughed, faced tinged with red from embarrassment. “Yeah that. I’m sorry if I said or did anything weird.”

Now last night's dilemma was coming to a head. Asking about what all those cryptic ass things about ‘Hope’ was, seemed only fair right? Having a glimpse at the door that Adora opened in a drunken haze only for it to be abruptly shut caused by the same inebriation was a tease. But was it truly Catra’s place to ask? Sure, it could be something minor, a blip of something small in Adora’s past, but this didn’t _feel_ minor. It felt like something Catra shouldn’t have been privy to, even if it was barely anything. That stacked on with Adora’s bipolar nature on the court and off plus the clinical apartment just felt _off._ Incredibly so. It made Catra unnerved to say the least. Adora made her feel so many things at once. One minute it’s anger then it’s amusement. Lust then confusion. Nothing about any of this was simple.

“Just some drunken flirting. Oh, to have a messy drunk draped on you all night!” Catra smirked. Wasn’t a flat out lie.

_Not now._

“Oh god.” Adora’s face reddened and she shook her head back and forth while she returned to facing the fridge's interior. 

“Don’t worry about it. Nothing I haven’t already dealt with from sober Greyskull.”

“You know, despite how embarrassing this all is, it’s nice to joke about it.” Adora finally closed the fridge and faced her with a smile. She had grabbed two waters and a gatorade offering water out to Catra.

She was right. It was nice. It felt normal. Like the rest of their new found… friendship? Catra knows she told Scorpia that they were and that she and Adora had kind of agreed on the friends thing but it just still felt so odd. Catra took the water.

“Yeah it is.”

Adora smiled and placed the gatorade on the counter in front of her and took a swig of her water.

“What did drunk flirty Adora say anyways? I kinda want to know now.” Adora now was leaning towards catra on her elbows across the island. It was a large enough island that Adora was far enough away it wasn’t awkward. Small blessings.

Catra sifted her hand through her hair and laughed “Oh you know just some things about my sexy ass hairc-”

A phone ringtone sounded from behind Catra in the bedroom space.

“I think that’s your ringtone.” Adora nods her head at Catra.

“Oh shit. Right. Scorpia.” 

Catra scoots out of her stool and finds her phone on the floor in the tiny space between adora’s bed and the nightstand. She got it in time to answer the call.

“Hey scorp, you here?”

“Right on the money. I’m pulling in now. I’ll try and park in or around the same spot as last night ‘kay?” her voice sounded distant, she was probably calling from her car's phone.

“S’good. Thanks.”

“No problem-o bud! See you in a sec.” The line beeps off.

Catra sorted through the rest of her phone's notifications while walking back over to Adora.

“We are going to drop you off back at the hotel so you can get your motorcycle. Then I'll be out of your space. Till next practice of course.” Catra reached the front door and opened it to step out into the hallway.

Adora jogs across her apartment and swings open a door. “One sec let me grab my stuff! I’m going to the court anyways.” 

Catra drops her gaze from her phone and looks back into the apartment with her brow furrowed. “How the fuck are you going to the court nursing a hangover?” 

Catra shrugged.

“You know what, don’t answer. I already know. You are insane.”

A laugh comes from inside the apartment with a door shutting following it. Adora walks out with her sports bag hung from her shoulder. Her keys in one hand and a gatorade in the other. She locked the door behind her, pocketing the keys then they both started towards the elevator.

_Oh elevator. Love that. Should I ask if we can take the stairs?_

_No, she will ask why and think i’m being stupid._

Adora clicks the button to call the elevator with the cap of her bottle and the doors slide open almost instantaneously. They walk in and Catra took the same position she did the night before. White knuckles digging into her back as she leans on the railing. Adora had just opted to free stand near the doors as she pulls out her phone and groans.

“I forgot to charge it. Shoot,” Adora powers it off. “Guess drunk me wasn’t thinking of the morning huh.” She looks over at Catra.

Catra’s eyes were trained on the floor. The raging headache plus the hate of cube coffins was not mixing well. Nerves and stomach lurching.

“You good?” Adora crinkles her brows.

“Just peachy princess. Don’t act like you care.” Oh that came out bad.

“Sorry?” The blonde scoffs.

“No, no. I’m sorry.” Catra unclenches her teeth and looks up. She swallows her pride. “I just uh, really don't like elevators and I feel sick from last night. I forgot to ask you for another aspirin.”

“Oh okay, you could have asked me to take the stairs, you know? I wouldn't have minded. Good warm up anyways.” She softly smiles. Catra heart aches yet again. Why was she so nice? But also so damn backwards?

“Ha that reminds me of Glimmer.” Adora continues. “She hates elevators too. Always curses when we had to travel for college games and they had our team stay on high floors at the hotels. She was always too tired after games to take the stairs so she had to suck it up.”

“Seems like Suzuki has some common sense. Elevators are an accident on a rope.” 

“You know it isn’t just a ro-” 

Catra puts a finger up to stop Adora. “Ah! Do not get logistical on me. I stand by my definition.” 

The elevator dings to announce their arrival at the bottom floor as Adora laughs. “Whatever you say Catra.” 

__________________________________

The ride back to Devlan was pretty normal. No window drawings or surprise front seat visits from Adora.

Scorpia and Adora talked about Phoebe and how Adora had only met her a handful of times at the laundry room but that she thought Phoebe was very nice. When they actually arrived at the hotel something compelled Catra to get out and walk with her to the motorcycle.

Adora elbowed Catra.

“You know I can find it myself right?” She joked.

“I-I’m- Yes I know you are capable. I Just-”

“Can't get enough of me Serrano? Wow, you like me? How _embarrassing_ for you!”

Catra’s cheeks flushed and she sidestepped farther away from Adora but still kept up with her. 

“What? No!” Her voice cracked.

_I hate it here._

Adora threw her head back and laughed hard. So hard her bad slid off her shoulder and she was now carrying it in the crook of her elbow.

“Ha ha yeah, sooo funny.” Catra huffed.

“Sorry it's just, I've never heard your voice do that. It’s cute.”

It is becoming apartant to Catra that Adora has no filter whatsoever and that it’s leading to Catra always having her face tinged with some shade of red.

“But hey,” Adora bumps shoulders with her. They had arrived at Adora’s bike.

_When did she get closer to me again?_

“I like you too.”

Adora was absolutely beaming, eyes shut and closed mouth. The sun was high in the sky and her nose was casting a shadow on the left side of her face. 

It was one of the most beautiful things Catra had ever seen if she was being honest . Not the usual look she sees on Adora. Someone who, before this point, Catra would have described as rough, hot and bone headed.

Now? After getting to talk with her for hours? Actually talk? She would describe Adora as driven, innocent in a sense, passionate and well, still pretty bone headed.

Catra smiles back. Genuinely. Despite all these insane redflags she see’s written all over everything Adora does and is, She can’t help from feeling like she is stuck in an orbit around her. A complete one-eighty from how she felt about Adora a couple months ago, but she really didn’t mind. As much as she should. Catra feels deep in her gut that this will backfire. She buries that down.

“Anyways, Thank you again. It really does mean a lot you didn't just like, ditch me at the bar when I got weird.”

“Yeah yeah it’s nothing, don’t mention it.” Catra starts walking away backwards. “Drive safe or whatever idiot.”

“Always.”

The last thing Catra saw before turning around and actually walking with intent to the car was Adora smiling at her bag as she fastened to the back.

Catra gets into the car again and sighs. Scorpia stays silent for once and just lets the music that was playing from the radio continue to seep into the car. They both hear the specific roar of a motorcycle engine start up, grow loud as it passed behind the car, then grow quiet as it leaves the lot.

Scorpia only then puts the car in reverse and starts driving towards the exit as well. 

“Wanna come over to my place? I’ll make pancakes and you can spill the deets to me.” 

Rolling her eyes Catra pulls her phone out of her pocket. “Yeah that’s fine. But no,” Catra puts up her fingers in air quotes. “,Deets. Just pancakes.”

“Okay, but feel free to if you change your mind!” Scorpia was tapping her fingers to the beat of the generic pop song playing through the car speakers as she spoke.

Catra hummed a response and turned her phone on from sleep mode to a text message from Adora. 

_Huh._

**Adora Greyskull:** hey, long time no talk right? we are both actually still in the parking lot lmfao. But I just thought about maybe returning your kindness or something.

 **Adora Greyskull:** do you maybe wanna get like lunch or something? my treat ofc! If not i understand but what you did truly meant a lot so yeah. lol 

What an absolute dork, but lunch is like, the least romantic meal right? She had to know that, That’s why she chose it. Good. That’s good.

 **Catra Serrano:** as long as it’s on your dime princess. text me the details for it later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> f-fluff laced with uh oh
> 
> feel free to message me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/sherashit) and [instagram](https://www.instagram.com/jxdenvfx/) ! (wow imbeded links. i am getting fancy)  
> ((also i post some pretty gay shera edits on insta so if that up your ally..))
> 
> comment so I can feel validated thanks :)  
> chapter 10 fanart! [here!](https://www.instagram.com/p/CEM2gnmllKL/?igshid=15wbkmw9yv9sq)


	13. chapter thirteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh-  
> oh, you thought I was gone, but I have risen again like Jesus except I'm lesbian and write smut. very holy if I say so myself
> 
> but yes! omg, your guys' comments genuinely are amazing, those of you that check up on the fic and those who comment even though it was apparent I took a long hiatus. i love you all and I'm so glad to share this chapter that took me a month to write because of school.
> 
> ap classes make me want to shoot myself in the foot btw. :)
> 
> also big thanks to nat who beta'd this beautifully for me
> 
> enjoy

Catra was standing in her bathroom staring at her groggy morning self, leaning on the counter with a toothbrush lazily hanging in her mouth. Her hair was tumbling down just barely reaching her cheekbones. 

Her eyes squeeze shut tight and then blink rapidly as she opens them to clear the blurriness. 

The FUCK do I wear to a casual nondate returned act of kindness?

She had gotten the details about the outing a couple of hours later that day when Adora got home. Though it was really just working out a date to do it on. It ended up being just a couple of days later on Sunday since their practices were going to be kicking up because preseason games were right on the cusp. Adora just said that she would pick her up at Catra’s place. Which Catra did rag on a bit.  
_” Wow my address? That’s a big step.”_

The weekend had felt so long from the beginning of the bar team outing to waking up in Adora’s model home apartment. Now it’s Sunday morning and she’s second-guessing this not date thing, and if it really was a good idea. Catra couldn’t get over how unsettling the whole weekend with Adora was. 

On the other hand, as much as she hates to admit it, talking with sober/mostly sober Adora was nice. The conversation was easy and Catra knows how she, herself, is. Not easy to talk to, very stubborn, hot-headed, the list could go on but something about Adora… Something so similar but so distant that she can’t place her finger on it. There is something there.

Catra leaned back up off of the counter and spit the rest of the paste and water into the basin. She ran a hand through her hair and mentally noted it's got a bit long. The closet door slid open and Catra let out a sigh.

Casual sounds good enough and it’s getting colder so she grabs a pair of black joggers and a red crew neck that had the Horde University alumni emblem on it. Not her go-to fit, but Catra woke up so late today that she decided it was enough. Scorpia had kept her up late crying about how much she loved her new girlfriend. 

_She and flower girl must have finally put a label on it._

Adora had said she’d be here at 11:30 and when Catra had grabbed her phone off the charger it was 11:29. She snapped in front of her at how timely she had been and started to her front door, grabbing the keys off the bay counter. She took the stairs down two levels and walked out the front lobby door to chill air. The mid-November weather was definitely dropping into the lower winter temperatures even there in Nevada where it seldomly gets below 20. Traveling for games in college to the more northern coastal cities like D.C and Boston in December and having to walk through sub-5-degree weather made Nevada seem like a haven. 

Once standing well out into the middle entrance canopy, Catra looked up and spotted a certain blonde leaning against a motorcycle in the middle parking section of the lot. She was right on the end so it made her practically dead center in Catra’s gaze. 

Adora was face first in her phone, staring with a smile and what the brunette could only assume was a laugh at something in a low handed grasp. Catra wondered how she could even see her phone at that angle from the glare the sun must have been covering the glass.

Catra pulled out her phone and opened up her messages with Adora.

Catra: hey idiot, what’s so funny?

She looked up after sending the message. Adora shifted her balance to her other leg and pulled the phone a bit closer to her face from her waist. Then her thumbs started flying across the screen.

Adora: ???

An idiot.

Catra: on your phone

Catra: what’s so funny about it?

She looked back up from her phone once more where she saw Adora scanning around her right and then to her left where she spotted Catra. She pushed off her bike and waved a phone clad hand in Catra’s direction, a huge smile on her face. Truly a sight to see.

Catra caught herself throwing a smirk back and pointing at Adora with her phone in an almost finger gun manner. Gross.

Adora started towards Catra and she threw her arms forward.

“Nuh-uh, we’re heading to your bike.” Catra wags a pointed finger at the bike. “Turn that tall ass of yours around. Why would you come to me?”

The blonde dead stops and throws her arms behind her head in a clasp for a dramatic spin. She marches back to the bike and sharply pivots to face back at Catra when she gets there. Closed with a smartass Salut she kicks her heels together.

“Oh fuck me. What is this? A JROTC reject? I don’t think the arm thing would fly.” Catra snides while she strides to Adora, meeting her a couple moments later.

Adora was in a dark red windbreaker with a white tee that was fully uncovered by her arms still resting behind her neck. It was loose but looked good on her nonetheless.

“Just following Serrano orders.” She dropped her arms back down and dug them into her pockets to retrieve the keys from one of them. Adora nodded her head backward at the bike. “Grab the helmet off the Bike and we can head out yeah? I haven’t been to where we are going so I'm excited… and a tad starving.”

Catra walked around her to the back and grabbed a black helmet off the back seat and toyed with the eye visor, rotating it on its hinge. 

“You never did tell me where we were going.” 

“You’ll see when we get there. Let a woman have surprises.” 

Adora smiles and throws her leg over the seat while she puts the keys in the ignition, the roar scaring Catra a bit as she hasn’t been this close to a revving bike before. She looks up to see the blonde with her head turned looking back at Catra.

“Getting on soon slowpoke?”

Catra rolled her eyes. “Slowpoke? Really? And where’s your helmet?”

“Oh, I haven’t ridden with it in months. Hate taking my hair out of a ponytail for it and I like the wind against my face.” With the mention of her hair, Adora smooths the flyaways she always seems to have back away from her face. “Actually the one you’ll be wearing is mine and it happens to be my only one. So yeah.”

“Ah, I get it. You're reckless and brazen. What a combo.”

“And you speak in nothing but insults and sarcasm. What a combo.”

Catra thins her lips and regards the front of the helmet one more time before fitting it over her head. “Touche.”

It was a little too big for her head, which made sense as Catra is not nearly as big as Adora the beefcake with a head as large as her ego.

Less gracefully she threw her leg over the back seat with a small jump and grabbed the small piece of the seat in front of her to stabilize.

Adora laughs audibly over the humming of the engine. “You’re going to have to get closer than that Catra. You’re barely even on the seat. I know how much this might pain you but you’re going to have to wrap your arms around my waist to stay on.”

There was a brief pause where Catra barely started forming a sarcastic response before Adora interjected again.

“Oh wait no. You’d love that if I can use you eyeing me at practices and that unspoken incident at sunrise.” Catra could feel the smirk.

“Asshole.” Though she slid forward anyway, pressing her front to Adora’s back, having to turn her head to the side to fit her arms around her torso.

“I heard no objections. My statement rings true!” Adora laughs again but Catra could feel it in her chest. The noise, and the motion. “I’m just messing with you. Genuinely, this is for safety okay? It gets pretty fast and I don't want you to fly off.” 

Catra grumbled a short ‘yeah yeah’ that she wasn't even sure Adora could hear before their weight shifted up with a push forward, then a rev of an engine and they were off.

Once they left the parking lot and picked up speed, Catra tightened her arms firmer around the torso in front of her. She shut her eyes tight with the drop of her stomach at feeling like she was going to fall off.

“You good!?” A shout followed by a hand patting clasped ones.

Figuring with the helmet and roar she wouldn't have been heard anyways, Catra shifted a hand that was in Adora’s palm to a quick thumbs up. Adora gripped it as quickly as she put her hand back on the handlebars.

Something about the gesture had her chest hurt.

__________________________________________

Once Catra got used to it the ride wasn't so bad other than the air whipping around them making it even colder, but the ride wasn’t that long either. It was no more than 10 minutes before Adora slowed down on a right turn and stayed slow, Catra opening her eyes to see where they were.

It was a solemn, just barely outer city street. Cracked roads and seemingly abandoned buildings were all that occupied the space. Adora pulled over to the side of the road and flipped the kickstand after turning the ignition off. Catra whipped her helmet off.

“Is this where you Dexter me up? I would have dressed better if I knew this was where I would cease to be.” Catra threw her left leg over the seat and hopped off the bike, laying the helmet onto the seat.

Adora drops the keys in her pocket and much more gracefully slides off the bike and stands tall, barely a foot away from Catra. She threw her hands up. “My bad. Should have told you I was going to kill you at this lunch. Forgot how much of a selling point it is.” 

“Damn right.” She puts a finger into Adora’s chest teasingly before dropping it down back at her sides, putting her hands in her front jogger pockets. “But where the fuck are we?”

“It’s just a little walk ahead, thought walking there would be more fun and you don't seem to be enjoying the ride too much if how hard you were gripping me seems to say.”

“Actually I was just starting to get used to it. It was nice once I got over the mental ‘No doors, I fall I die’ bit.” She enunciated her statement with her hands by making one dive and then dragging the same one across her throat. They started walking away from the parked bike after Adora picked up the helmet again.

Adora hummed. “I mean, that’s fair. If it makes you feel better, I've fallen off a couple times and I didn't die. Obviously. Just some cuts and bruises. Sometimes deep enough to leave scars but I haven't been to the hospital for any accident.”

The confession brings back the scars and scratches she’s seen on Adora’s legs during some games and when she was putting Adora to bed after the bar incident. Makes sense.

“Ah death on two wheels couldn’t even bring down powerhouse Greyskull. A damn shame. But I can bring you to your knees on the court. Imagine.” Catra snided checking a glance at Adora who was smiling. Still stunning to Catra.

Laughing filled the space to the left of Catra and she heard the sound of a shoe grinding on loose rock debris of the sidewalk. “Ha, I would say you have me on my butt more but sure, sexual innuendos are fine.” 

Adora had tripped a bit and Catra caught that when she looked over. Mixed with the word ‘butt’ it was quite the dork experience.

“You’re what? Twenty-One? And you refuse to say the word _ass_? Wow. You’re really pulling all the bitches.”

“Hey! I just don’t see the point in using curse words when there is a perfectly good safe for work version of it.” Adora tossed her hands up in mock guilt.

“They sound interesting. They like, enhance your sentences man.” 

“I guess but I don’t know! I don’t like them that much. Just cause you think they sound cool doesn’t mean they are.”

“Sure it does.” Catra shoves her thumb into her chest. “I’m the CEO of cool shit.” 

“Oh, are you now? Sounds fake but okay.” 

“Whatever dork. Like you would even know.”

Adora turned her head to Catra. “Dork? What happened to princess?” She grinned slightly. 

Catra cocked an eyebrow up when she met faces with the blonde and hummed. “What? Can’t a girl have two nicknames for someone?” Catra snakes closer and drops her voice down “Miss me calling you that _princess?_ ”

Adora speeds a stride forward and clears her throat. “No comment.”

Earning a laugh from her, Catra slowly catches back up in stride with the tall shooting guard, not saying anything more.

It wasn't that much longer of a walk till there was a clearly out of place little windowed building smooshed between the other taller ones. It was gray painted brick with a large glass window, Catra could make out a floating table on the other side of the glass and stools. She bumps Adora’s arm with her body to get her attention.

“Hole in the wall?”

“Mhm. Coffee place.” She shoved her hands into her jacket pockets and swung them out a bit from her body. “I saw when I was driving around this area the other day. Wanted to check it out and you brought up the perfect opportunity.”

“Fair enough then. Is the coffee here even good? Did you google it at least?”

“Nope! We die as men, Catra.” She leaned closer to her just as they approached the door and whispered. “As men…”

Catra rolled her eyes and pushed her back a bit. Adora laughingly stumbled to the door and held it open for Catra while they, one after the other, walked in. 

It was a nice warm interior, with white countertops of tables and the registrar bar cutting into the dark wood of the floor and walls that were accented with green hanging plants. Fake or real, they complimented it well. 

For as long as Catra remembered, she always had an eye for detail and it would throw her off when things didn't coordinate in some way or scale. Whether that be outfits or interior design. She almost took graphic design in college as a major cause she would spend hours sketching out design plans she would like when she moved out of Shannon’s house. Her perfect home. This hole in the wall cafe reminded her of the color scheme of the kind of apartment she wanted. Windows that filled the walls that looked out not onto the city but the rougher areas of the waste, and plants that would keep her company when Scorpia was away and she had to be home. As much as she hates to admit it, she hates being alone. She considered a cat at some point but realized with her schedule it wouldn't work out and she would barely be taking care of them. 

That obviously was a dream and she didn’t have the money for that and had to settle with where she is now. More than okay as she was away from Sharon and lived independently with a comfortable amount of money in the bank.

Adora snapped Catra out of her decor appreciation by bumping her, which was now seeming like a common thing to do between them. Touch. 

“You drink coffee a lot or what?” She said nudging her head at the menu.

Catra scanned the list and blinked. “Uh no not really. Scorpia usually does the coffee runs if we ever do.” 

Adora’s expression showed an awe in understanding. “Ah okay. Well, I can order for you if you’d like? I’m pretty good with coffee.” 

“We can put that on your list of nerd shit with drinks next to alcohol.”

“Whatever you say, Serrano.” She warmly smiled back at Catra before walking forward and turning back once she seemingly remembered something. “Bitter or sweet?”

“What do you think?” 

“Right, bad question. Bitter, fits your attitude.” She chuckled again and waved a hand across. “Find a table and I’ll meet you there?”

Catra nodded and spun on her heel to look for a table in a nice spot. She knew she wanted to look out the front window cause she doesn't like her back being towards doors. Cautionary shit she rationalized.

She found this table against the back wall that had a plant hanging right down the wall centered with the table.

_Real or fake? Real or fake? Real or fake?_

Catra sat there just so she could feel the plants alone. She reached out and ran a nail down one of the leaves.

_Fake. Oh the disappointment…_

About five minutes later Adora came to the table knocking Catra, once again out of her design stupors. She really liked the aesthetic.

“Hey here’s your drink, I’m getting a call from someone I can’t decline. I’m sorry I’ll be right back.” She nervously smiled before jetting to the door using her basketball lane skills to weave through the chairs and the people that sat in them with practiced grace, popping on her phone the second she reached the door.

She stood almost perfectly outside the window now, and Catra could watch her pace, her not being seated too far from said window meant she could see the worried face the blonde was carrying.

_oh?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hmm, maybe i take another 3-month hiatus 
> 
> feel free to message me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/sherashit) and [instagram](https://www.instagram.com/jxdenvfx/) !  
> ((also i post some pretty gay shera edits on insta so if that up your ally..))
> 
> comment so I can feel validated thanks :)  
> chapter 10 fanart! [here!](https://www.instagram.com/p/CEM2gnmllKL/?igshid=15wbkmw9yv9sq)


	14. taking a break :)

hey guys! I know, not an update but I would like to be honest.

i have lost a lot of motivation for this story. don't worry thought because i still plan on finishing it this summer.

IN MORE HAPPY NEWS

i have started writing a new catradora au along with someone else special :) (KnightAdora X PrincessCatra)

it will be up in the next day or so and if i have anything to say about it 

((((The writing and story will be 1000x better than this one))))

so keep and eye out for it if you like my writing :)


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